PARTI Pucks (PARTI)

Through-ice communication between an ice-penetrating vehicle (cryobot) and a surface lander is critical for science return on ocean world subsurface missions. It will be desirable to spool out a high-bandwidth communication tether behind a descending cryobot as the primary communications link. However, ice dynamics and lengthy cryobot descent times suggest a risk of tether shearing or other critical failures disrupting communications to the surface. Any exploration into deep ice will thus require a low bandwidth, tetherless backup communication system. We propose to design, fabricate, and field test radio transceivers (sometimes called “pucks”) to be deployed behind a descending cryobot and frozen into the ice. Each puck will serve as an independently-powered relay for transferring messages up and down a linkage of discrete devices deployed vertically between the cryobot and the lander. To date, only theoretical investigations of such a communications link for cryobot missions have been conducted. Our proposed work, Puck-based data transmission using Adaptive Radio modems for Through-Ice communications, or PARTI Pucks, will be the first to field test variations on this concept using prototype physical hardware.

The permittivity of ice is highly dependent on ice temperature and the presence and nature of contaminants. Thus, an optimal radiofrequency (RF) transceiver design is heavily dependent on the local subsurface environment, which, for ocean world icy crusts, remains highly speculative due to limited data. Current models for Europa’s ice shell invoke two primary thermal regimes: brittle, cryogenic ice comprises the outermost layer of the ice column and warmer, convecting ice lies beneath. Adding complexity, the outer ice is subject to RF emissions from Jupiter; this RF noise is likely attenuated in the deeper ice. Considering these two different subsurface environments we intend to investigate three approaches to communication pucks: (1) a VHF/UHF design using patch antennas; (2) a MF/HF dipole antenna design; and (3) an HF crossed-loop antenna design.

Puck hardware design will adhere to size and power constraints for a landed mission to Europa. Prior work at Stone Aerospace includes prototype engineering and field testing of full-scale cryobots. Building on this background we will design pucks sized to be compatible with deployment from a flight-scale cryobot. Puck design will accommodate the geometry and power output of D-cell class nuclear batteries currently under development. Puck TRLs will be advanced through a series of test campaigns concluding with an in-ice field test in Greenland for two of the designs. This “clean ice” test data will provide important ground truth for the validation of transmission model codes that account for the potential presence of contaminants (salt, hydrates, sulfates) that may be encountered in ocean world ices.

This proposal responds to the Through-the-Ice Communication element of COLDTech-2. The technical objectives are to: 1. Design and build RF communication pucks optimized for the brittle ice environment and, separately, for the warmer ice environment. Three approaches will be investigated: a VHF/UHF puck using patch antennas, a MF/HF puck using dipole antennas, and an HF puck using crossed-loop antennas. 2. Design pucks to fit within the volume, mass, and power consumption envelope consistent with the likely constraints of a flight mission. 3. Design and analyze a miniature radioisotope power system capable of producing 1-3 Watts of electrical power over the lifetime of a mission within the puck size and mass constraints. 4. Test and characterize the performance of functional puck prototype pairs in air and then, for HF and VHF/UHF designs, through 500 meters of terrestrial ice.

PI Stone will lead design and construction of the prototype hardware; Co-I Howe will advise on nuclear battery compatibility; and Co-I Gasiewski will lead development of the VHF/UHF system.

Developing Instrument or spacecraft technology to improve measurements for future planetary science missions

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.