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Completed TRL 6 (started at 2, targeting 9)
Lunar IceCube is a 6U CubeSat that was launched on Artemis 1. Its mission was to prospect for water in ice, liquid, and vapor forms and other lunar volatiles from a low-perigee, inclined lunar orbit. Morehead State University led the development of Lunar IceCube under a NextSTEP partnership. Lunar IceCube used the Broadband InfraRed Compact High Resolution Exploration Spectrometer (BIRCHES), developed by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). BIRCHES is a compact version of the successful New Horizons instrument designed with the high spectral resolution (5 nm) and wavelength range (1 to 4 µm) needed to distinguish forms of water, including ice. This compact, extremely sensitive spectrometer can be adapted for future small satellite missions in support of solar system exploration. Lunar IceCube used an innovative RF Ion engine combined with a low energy trajectory to achieve lunar capture and a science orbit of 100 km perilune.
The Lunar IceCube mission provides several benefits to NASA, other government agencies, and the commercial space sector. These benefits fall into four categories:
1.) Science for future human exploration,
2.) Enabling technologies,
3.) Implementation of a ground station for deep space SmallSat missions, and
4.) Development of processes for SLS (and conceivably other heavy launch vehicles) to accommodate secondary payloads.
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.
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