Honeybee Robotics LLC
Who it subcontracts to
No subawards reported under its lunar awards.
Who it works for
LUNAR INSTRUMENTATION FOR SUBSURFACE THERMAL EXPLORATION WITH RAPIDITY (LISTER)
ARTEMIS INFRARED REFLECTANCE AND EMISSION SPECTROMETER (AIRES)
SEE EXHIBIT A IN SUBAWARD
SEISMOMETER FOR A LUNAR NETWORK (SLN)
YEAR 1 - 1. DESIGN AND FABRICATES 3 RODS AND 9 CONES FOR INITIAL TESTS. 2. SETUP EXISTING HAMMER DRILL FRO TEST, INCLUD GUI 3. TRAVEL TO MTU FOR 2 WEEKS OF TRAINING/TESTING 4. PROVIDE TEST SUPPORT FROM CA YEAR 2 - 5. DESIGN AND FABRICATE 1 ROD AND 1 CONE WITH HEATERS/TC AND FIBER OPTIC 6. REFURBISH THE DRILL 7. ADD THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND INTERFACE PLATES FOR THE ROVER 8. TRAVEL TO MTU FOR 2 WEEKS OF TRAINING/TESTING (ROVER) FOR FIELD TEST 9. PROVIDE TEST SUPPORT FROM CA 10. PERFORM TEST AT HONEYBEE LUNAR CHAMBER
- Seti Institute$301K
HONEYBEE ROBOTICS WILL CONDUCT R&D SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF THE DALI EFFORT ENTITLED "XTRA: AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL REGOLITH ANALYZER FOR LUNAR SOIL". WORK TO BE PERFORMED: HONEYBEE ROBOTICS WILL PRIMARILY CONTRIBUTE TO THREE SUBTASKS LISTED IN THE PROPOSAL WORK PLAN: 3A, 3B AND 4A. SUBTASK 3A. EVALUATE SA/D REQUIREMENTS FOR XTRA. HONEYBEE ROBOTICS WILL DEVELOP A FLIGHT QUALIFIABLE DESIGN FOR SAMPLE ACQUISITION AND DELIVERY OF LUNAR REGOLITH INTO THE XTRA SAMPLE CELL. THE SAMPLE ACQUISITION AND DELIVERY SYSTEM WILL BE BASED ON HONEYBEE ROBOTICS" PLANETVAC SYSTEM IN WHICH SAMPLE ACQUISITION IS ACHIEVED THROUGH A PNEUMATIC SYSTEM ATTACHED TO THE FOOTPAD OF THE LANDER. PLANETVAC HAS BEEN VACUUM CHAMBER TESTED AS WELL AS BEING TESTED ON MASTEN"S XOMBIE ROCKET. THE PNEUMATIC SYSTEM DELIVERS SAMPLE DIRECTLY TO THE XTRA CELL. HENCE, IT IS AN EXTREMELY LOW-RISK SAMPLE DELIVERY SYSTEM. THE PNEUMATIC SAMPLE DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN TESTED AT LUNAR GRAVITY AND IN VACUUM ON THE ZERO-G CORP. AIRPLANE. DURING THIS TASK, HONEYBEE ROBOTICS WILL DESIGN THE FOOTPAD MOUNTING OF THE PLANETVAC PNEUMATIC SYSTEM AND SIZE THE VALVES AND GAS CYLINDER FOR CONVEYANCE OF LUNAR SOIL IN THE GAS STREAM AND DELIVERY OF THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF SAMPLE TO THE XTRA CELL. THE SYSTEM WILL BE FABRICATED TO ACHIEVE TRL 4/5. THIS TRL IS SUFFICIENT FOR PERFORMING THE END-TO-END DEMONSTRATION. SUBTASK 3B. DEVELOP A HIGH-TRL XSS FOR XTRA. HONEYBEE ROBOTICS WILL PROVIDE ENGINEERING SERVICES TO ASSIST SUBTASK LEAD CO-I SARRAZIN IN THIS DEVELOPMENT. THE XSS WILL PROVIDE A DUAL SAMPLE CELL LAYOUT, IN WHICH THE FIRST CELL IS SEALED AND CARRIES A CALIBRATION STANDARD. THE PRIMARY CALIBRATION CELL, IN DEFAULT POSITION IN THE X-RAY BEAM, WILL BE ANALYZED FIRST. AFTER VALIDATION OF THE DATA FROM THE CALIBRATION CELL, THE SECOND CELL WILL BE FILLED WITH LUNAR SOIL AND A SIMPLE RELEASE ACTUATOR (SOLENOID, FRANGIBOLT OR WAX ACTUATOR) WILL BE TRIGGERED TO MOVE IT INTO POSITION IN THE X-RAY BEAM. IN THE EVENT OF TOTAL LOSS OF SAMPLE OR SAMPLE DELIVERY CAPABILITY, A DEMONSTRATION XRD/XRF ANALYSIS CAN STILL BE MADE. BOTH SAMPLE CELLS WILL BE VIBRATED USING A RESONANT DESIGN AS USED IN CHEMIN, COMMERCIAL DERIVATIVES, AND THE LUNA-2 PROTOTYPE. A PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR WILL BE USED TO GENERATE VIBRATIONS AT A MECHANICAL RESONANCE FREQUENCY IN THE 1 TO 2 KHZ RANGE DEPENDING ON THE RESONATOR DESIGN (TUNING FORK). TWO XSS UNITS WILL BE FABRICATED, ONE DEDICATED TO TESTING AT HBR FOR VALIDATION AT TRL-5, AND THE SECOND FOR INTEGRATION INTO THE TRL-6 XTRA PROTOTYPE DURING TASK 6. ON COMPLETION OF TASK 3B, XTRA"S XSS MECHANICAL DESIGN WILL HAVE BEEN FINALIZED. SUBTASK 4: SYSTEM MECHANICAL DESIGN OF A FLIGHT-LIKE XTRA PROTOTYPE. THE MECHANICAL DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM WILL BE LED BY CO-I SARRAZIN. HONEYBEE ROBOTICS WILL PROVIDE ENGINEERING SUPPORT IN THE SYSTEM DESIGN, INTEGRATION OF THE HBR SUBSYSTEMS AND THERMAL SIMULATIONS. THE MECHANICAL DESIGN WILL INFORM AND PROVIDE MECHANICAL CONSTRAINTS ON SUB-COMPONENT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT. A BACKBONE STRUCTURE WILL HOLD THE CRITICAL COMPONENTS (X-RAY TUBE, CCD, SDD, XSS) IN POSITION, PROVIDE THE NECESSARY ALIGNMENTS, MANAGE THE CONDUCTIVE COOLING OF HEAT-GENERATING COMPONENTS (PELTIER, X-RAY TUBE), SHIELD DETECTORS FROM STRAY RADIATION, AND PROVIDE MECHANICAL SUPPORT FOR THE SYSTEM ENCLOSURE AND ELECTRONICS BOARDS. ALL COMPONENTS WILL BE MANUFACTURED IN ALUMINUM ALLOY EXCEPT WHEN X-RAY SHIELDING IS REQUIRED.
CAPTURE REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO WATER CONCENTRATION AND REGOLITH DENSITY; DESIGN EXPERIMENTAL SETUP TO PERFORM VOLATILE LOSS TESTS. REVIEW DESIGN.; PROCURE HARDWARE FOR EXPERIMENTAL SETUP; PROVIDE INPUT TO SSERVI REPORT; ATTEND THE EXPLORATION SCIENCE FORUM
"1. COLLABORATE WITH THE TEAM LEAD BY DR. GERTSCH IN DESIGNING A FLIGHT-FORWARD REGOLITH BENEFICIATION SYSTEM. THIS WILL INCLUDE WORKING WITH SCIENTISTS ON THE TEAM TO OPTIMIZE INITIAL DESIGNS FOR UTILITY, ROBUSTNESS, SIMPLICITY, MASS, AND POWER. 2. PERFORM TRADES ON A MAGNETIC SEPARATION SYSTEM. 3. DESIGN, FABRICATE, AND TEST A BREADBOARD-LEVEL SEPARATION SYSTEM."
Lunar awards as prime
| Award | Description | Period | Obligated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80LARC21CA006 | DESIGN, PROTOTYPE, AND TEST THE LUNAR ARRAY MAST AND POWER SYSTEM (LAMPS), A SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE 10 KILOWATTS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AND BE ROBOTICALLY DEPLOYABLE AT THE SOUTH POLE OF THE LUNAR SURFACE. | 2021-09-21 → 2024-09-20 | $7.7M |
| 80MSFC20C0007 | THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY FOR ACQUIRING AND TRANSFERRING REGOLITH FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE TO INSTRUMENTS AND SAMPLE RETURN CONTAINERS | 2019-11-19 → 2025-09-30 | $6.3M |
| 80NSSC20C0017 | PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION MECHANISM FOR LUNAR RESOURCE UTILIZATION | 2020-01-28 → 2022-11-30 | $5.8M |
| 80NSSC25K7271 | THE ROSES FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS ARE: EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-06-01 → 2028-05-30 | $2.0M |
| 80NSSC23CA040 | EO14042 - FY23 PHASE III - PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION MECHANISM FOR LUNAR RESOURCE UTILIZATION | 2023-04-04 → 2026-11-30 | $2.0M |
| 80NSSC25K7422 | LUNAR WEATHER ARRAY | 2025-01-01 → 2027-12-31 | $1.8M |
| 80NSSC22K0841 | THE MOST READILY AVAILABLE OXYGEN SOURCE ON THE MOON IS THE LUNAR REGOLITH ITSELF. IT CAN BE HARVESTED AND ELECTROLYZED ANYWHERE ON THE SURFACE AND THE REGOLITH IS ALMOST 40% OXYGEN BY MASS. ARTEMIS AND FUTURE IN-SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ISRU) MISSIONS WILL LIKELY PERFORM TESTS ON SUCH ELECTROLYSIS SYSTEMS | 2022-02-07 → 2025-03-31 | $691K |
| 80NSSC21K0673 | NEAR EARTH ASTEROIDS (NEAS) HAVE HIGH POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIALIZATION IN CISLUNAR SPACE DUE TO THEIR LOW DELTA V AND ABUNDANCE OF VARIOUS MATERIALS. HOWEVER RISK IN POTENTIAL NEA HARVESTING MISSIONS IS HIGH DUE TO POOR KNOWLEDGE OF SURFACE BEHAVIOR | 2021-02-25 → 2026-02-01 | $598K |
| 80NSSC25K7400 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-03-10 → 2028-03-09 | $563K |
| 80NSSC20K0391 | THIS IS HONEYBEE ROBOTIC S GRANT PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE FIDELITY OF LUNAR TESTING FOR SAMPLE COLLECTION BY WORKING WITH MASTEN SPACE SYSTEMS TO MIMIC THE PLUME EFFECTS EXPECTED TO BE SEEN WHILST LANDING ON THE MOON. HONEYBEE PROPOSES TO:>USE EXISTING PLANETVAC HARDWARE ENABLING DIRECT COMPARISON TO PRIOR TESTING>SET UP FLIGHT IN SIMILAR MANNER AS LAST TEST BUT WITHOUT THE PLUME DEFLECTOR>DEVELOP TEST METHODOLOGY FOR REGOLITH SAMPLE BIN TO CAPTURE MORE REALISTIC LANDING CONDITIONS WITH PLUME INTERACTIONS. | 2019-12-03 → 2021-06-02 | $500K |
| 80NSSC20K0103 | PLANETVAC-XOMBIE2: HONEYBEE PLANETVAC ON THE MASTEN LUNAR LANDER | 2019-10-25 → 2021-04-09 | $499K |
| 80NSSC23CA029 | FY23 SBIR PHASE III - PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION MECHANISM FOR LUNAR RESOURCE UTILIZATION | 2023-03-08 → 2025-09-01 | $345K |
| 80NSSC23CA205 | SBIR PHASE III HIGH VOLTAGE LUNAR DUST TOLERANT CONNECTOR | 2023-09-27 → 2024-02-26 | $279K |
| 80NSSC20K0368 | GEOCHRONOLOGY OR DETERMINATION OF ABSOLUTE AGES FOR GEOLOGIC EVENTS UNDERPINS MANY INQUIRIES INTO THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF PLANETS AND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. THE BOMBARDMENT CHRONOLOGY INFERRED FROM LUNAR SAMPLES HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN T | 2019-11-27 → 2020-11-26 | $2K |