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In the spirit of discovery and scientific advancement, NASA’s Artemis program marks a bold new chapter in lunar exploration. Named after the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology, Artemis signifies humanity’s return to the Moon with an ambitious goal: not only to revisit our closest celestial neighbor but to pave the way for sustainable lunar exploration and, ultimately, human missions to Mars. This transformative program promises to extend our reach into the cosmos, advance our understanding of space, and inspire generations to come.
The Vision of Artemis
Unlike Apollo, which focused on planting the first flags and footprints, Artemis has a broader vision. The Artemis program aims to land “the first woman and the next man” on the lunar surface by 2024. However, its vision extends far beyond this milestone.
- Establish a Sustainable Human Presence on the Moon: Artemis aims to create a long-term lunar base, enabling scientific research, resource exploration, and potentially even lunar tourism in the future.
- Diversity on the Moon: The Artemis program emphasizes inclusivity, aiming to land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface.
- Proving Ground for Mars: The Moon serves as a stepping stone for future crewed missions to Mars. Technologies and procedures tested on the Moon will be crucial for venturing further into our solar system.
NASA’s long-term goal is to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade. This involves developing the infrastructure necessary for long-term lunar exploration, including habitats, rovers, and power systems. By doing so, Artemis will serve as a proving ground for the technologies and strategies needed for human exploration of Mars.
Key Components of the Artemis Program
The Space Launch System (SLS): The backbone of the Artemis program, the SLS is the most powerful rocket ever built. Designed to carry astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, as well as cargo, equipment, and scientific payloads, the SLS will enable deep space missions beyond low Earth orbit.
Orion Spacecraft: Orion is NASA’s next-generation spacecraft, built to carry humans farther into space than ever before. With advanced life support systems, state-of-the-art avionics, and the capability to sustain astronauts for extended missions, Orion is a critical component of the Artemis program.
Building a Moon Base: The Crucial Role of Gateway
A critical element of the Artemis program is to launch and construct Gateway — humanity’s first Moon-orbiting space station. This vital outpost will act as an intermediary station for lunar travel, enabling astronauts to dock, transfer, and prepare for missions on the lunar surface.
The Gateway is a planned space station that will orbit the Moon, serving as a staging point for missions to the lunar surface. It will provide living quarters for astronauts, a lab for scientific research, and a hub for logistics and communications. The Gateway will also facilitate international and commercial partnerships, enhancing global cooperation in space exploration.
Gateway: A Modular Outpost for Lunar Exploration
Gateway will be constructed in phases, like a giant Lego set in space. Multiple modules, each providing essential facilities, will be pieced together in lunar orbit to support Artemis missions.
- Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO): This module will provide living quarters and essential supplies for astronauts stationed at Gateway. Imagine it as a cozy home base during lunar missions.
- Power and Propulsion Element (PPE): This powerhouse module serves as Gateway’s beating heart. Utilizing advanced solar cell technology, PPE will generate a whopping 60 kW of electricity, powering not only the station’s systems but also its electric propulsion thrusters for maneuvering in lunar orbit.
The capabilities of Gateway will be further expanded with additional modules contributed by international partners:
- European Space Agency (ESA)
- Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Each of these modules will be seamlessly integrated with Gateway, powered by the reliable PPE. This international collaboration exemplifies the unifying power of space exploration.
Human Landing System (HLS): To land astronauts on the Moon, NASA is developing the HLS in collaboration with commercial partners. This lander will transport astronauts from the Gateway to the lunar surface and back, enabling repeated missions to various lunar locations.
Artemis Base Camp: As part of its long-term vision, NASA plans to establish the Artemis Base Camp at the lunar South Pole. This base will support extended stays on the Moon, providing astronauts with shelter, power, and tools to conduct scientific research and exploration.
Scientific and Technological Objectives
The Artemis program is not just about human exploration; it also aims to conduct groundbreaking scientific research. Key objectives include:
- Lunar Resource Utilization: Understanding and utilizing the Moon’s resources, such as water ice, is crucial for sustainable lunar exploration and future missions to Mars. Extracting and processing these resources will reduce the need to transport supplies from Earth.
- Scientific Research: Artemis missions will study the Moon’s geology, surface, and environment, providing valuable insights into the history of the solar system. Experiments conducted on the lunar surface will also advance our understanding of space biology and medicine.
- Technology Development: Artemis will drive innovation in various technologies, including propulsion, life support systems, robotics, and energy storage. These advancements will benefit not only space exploration but also applications on Earth.
From Liftoff to Lunar Landing: The Artemis Missions
The Artemis program is a multi-phase endeavor with a series of critical missions:
- Artemis 1 (completed in November 2022): This uncrewed mission successfully tested the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built.
- Artemis 2 (targeted for 2024): This mission will send a crew of astronauts around the Moon, marking the first crewed Orion flight.
- Artemis 3 (targeted for no earlier than 2025): This historic mission aims to land the first astronauts back on the Moon since 1972.
- Artemis missions beyond: Further missions will focus on establishing a lunar base, deploying rovers, and conducting long-term scientific studies.
Artemis Base Camp
Artemis Base Camp is poised to be a cornerstone for lunar exploration, envisioned as a long-term foothold on the Moon, potentially located in Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole. This habitat is designed to host four astronauts for visits lasting up to a week, providing a stable platform for extended lunar missions.
The Moon’s south pole is particularly intriguing to scientists because of the confirmed presence of water ice beneath its surface in permanently shadowed craters. This resource is crucial as it can be processed into drinking water or rocket fuel, enabling more ambitious and prolonged missions beyond the initial exploration phases.
Mission Overview
During the Artemis missions, astronauts will achieve unprecedented durations on the lunar surface compared to the Apollo missions. According to Lindsay Aitchison, a spacesuit engineer at NASA, two astronauts will spend up to 6.5 days on the Moon, nearly double the length of the longest Apollo missions. During their stay, the astronauts are expected to perform approximately four extravehicular activities (EVAs), each lasting about six hours, similar to the duration of excursions outside the International Space Station.
Infrastructure and Capabilities
In the long term, Artemis Base Camp will require robust infrastructure to support sustained human presence. This includes:
- Power Systems: Reliable sources of power to sustain operations during the long lunar nights and support all habitat functions.
- Waste Disposal: Efficient systems to manage and dispose of waste generated by the crew.
- Communications: Advanced communication systems to ensure constant contact with Earth and relay data.
- Radiation Shielding: Protection against the harmful effects of cosmic radiation and solar flares.
- Landing Pad: A designated area for safe landing and takeoff of spacecraft.
Innovative Technologies and Techniques
The base camp will also serve as a testing ground for new technologies and methods, such as:
- Lunar Dust Management: Developing strategies to mitigate the impact of pervasive lunar dust on equipment and operations.
- Local Resource Utilization: Techniques to convert local materials into usable resources, such as extracting water from lunar ice and using regolith for construction.
- New Power Solutions: Exploring advanced power generation and storage technologies suitable for the lunar environment.
- Construction Technologies: Innovative methods for building and maintaining structures on the Moon’s surface.
By focusing on these areas, Artemis Base Camp aims to create a sustainable and resilient habitat that supports long-term human exploration and scientific discovery on the Moon. This foundation will not only enable more in-depth study of the Moon but also serve as a stepping stone for future missions to Mars and beyond.
Technological and Scientific Milestones
The Artemis program integrates ongoing spacecraft programs such as Orion, the Lunar Gateway, and Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), while adding a crewed lander and various robotic spacecraft. These efforts include:
Enhancing Lunar Mobility and Exploration with Artemis Base Camp and VIPER
The Artemis program, aiming to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, is supported by advanced mobility systems and exploratory technologies. Central to this effort is the Artemis Base Camp, designed to facilitate extensive lunar exploration.
Mobility Systems for Artemis Base Camp
Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV)
The Lunar Terrain Vehicle is a crucial component of the Artemis Base Camp, designed to facilitate astronaut movement across the Moon’s surface. This vehicle will enable astronauts to traverse various terrains, significantly expanding their exploration range.
Habitable Mobility Platform
Complementing the LTV, the Habitable Mobility Platform is envisioned to support longer excursions away from the base camp, lasting up to 45 days. This capability is vital not only for lunar missions but also for future Mars exploration, where missions are expected to last between 30 to 45 days to mitigate risks.
“Mobility is a major part of the Artemis Base Camp,” the report emphasizes. “Robust mobility systems will be needed to explore and develop the Moon. The same is true for Mars, making the habitable mobility platform a particularly important element as we will need a similar type of vehicle to explore the Red Planet.”
VIPER: Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover
Mission Overview
The VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) is a key asset in NASA’s quest to utilize lunar resources. The lunar rover is tasked with prospecting for water ice and other resources at the lunar south pole, providing crucial data for future missions. The VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) will prospect for lunar resources in the south pole’s permanently shadowed areas, especially mapping water ice distribution. VIPER, part of NASA’s CLPS, will help develop mission architectures for human space exploration by enabling in-situ resource utilization. This mission is crucial for future human space exploration, providing essential data on the availability of resources that can be used to produce oxygen and propellants, thereby enabling new mission architectures.
Technical Specifications and Capabilities
- Instruments and Tools: VIPER is equipped with three instruments and a 1-meter (3.28-foot) drill to analyze the distribution and concentration of water ice and other potential resources.
- Operational Range: The rover is planned to traverse several kilometers, collecting data from various soil environments influenced by light and temperature — including areas in complete darkness, occasional light, and constant sunlight.
- Battery and Power Management: When VIPER enters a permanently shadowed region, it will rely on battery power alone, without the ability to recharge until it returns to a sunlit area. The rover’s total operation time is approximately 100 Earth days.
Communications Technology
Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has partnered with NASA’s Johnson Space Center to ensure robust communication capabilities for VIPER. They will provide the X-Band Transceiver and X-Band Diplexer, responsible for direct-to-Earth communications via NASA’s Deep Space Network.
- X-Band Transceiver and Diplexer: These components will enable reliable communication between VIPER and Earth, ensuring that data collected by the rover can be transmitted back to mission control without interruption.
Integration with Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
VIPER’s deployment is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), which aims to leverage commercial partnerships to deliver payloads to the Moon efficiently. This collaboration underscores NASA’s commitment to fostering innovation and utilizing commercial expertise in achieving its lunar exploration goals.
The Artemis Base Camp and the VIPER rover represent significant strides in lunar exploration technology. The advanced mobility systems of the base camp will enable astronauts to explore the Moon extensively, while VIPER’s mission to map and analyze lunar resources will pave the way for sustainable human presence on the Moon. These developments not only support the immediate goals of the Artemis program but also lay the groundwork for future exploration missions to Mars and beyond.
Artemis Spacesuits: xEMU and OCSS
The Artemis program will employ two space suits: the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) for lunar surface activities and the Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS) for use inside the Orion spacecraft during launch and re-entry. The xEMU, designed for up to eight hours of endurance, features movable joints, an audio system inside the helmet, and an innovative suit entry mechanism. The OCSS, with enhanced shoulder joints and greater fire resistance, is orange for visibility in ocean recoveries.
Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU)
The xEMU suit is designed for use on the lunar surface, capable of supporting astronauts for up to eight hours. Key features of the xEMU include:
- Enhanced Mobility: The suit incorporates movable joints and a bearing at the waist to improve movement.
- Advanced Communication: Audio microphones and speakers are built into the helmet, eliminating the need for the traditional “Snoopy cap.”
- Suit Entry: Astronauts enter the suit from between the backpack and the main body, a design that omits the zippers that posed issues in Apollo suits.
- Self-Verification: Future iterations of the xEMU may include systems to self-check their condition, saving astronaut time for other critical tasks.
A critical component under careful analysis is the gloves. Tamra George, a tools specialist at Johnson Space Center, highlighted the challenges posed by the gloves during the Lunar Surface Science Virtual Workshop. Gloves must balance flexibility and durability, enabling astronauts to perform delicate tasks while protecting them from the harsh lunar environment. The gloves’ bulk and the suit’s pressure make space handiwork both challenging and physically demanding.
Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS)
The OCSS is intended for use inside the Orion spacecraft during launch and re-entry, especially in case of a depressurization emergency. Key features of the OCSS include:
- High Visibility: The suit’s outer layer is bright orange, ensuring visibility in the ocean if astronauts must exit the spacecraft without assistance from recovery personnel.
- Enhanced Mobility and Safety: The suit includes improved shoulder joints for a better range of reach and increased fire resistance.
Adapting to Lunar Conditions
Despite these advancements, the current generation of spacesuits still faces limitations in extremely cold environments, like the lunar south pole’s shadowed regions. Consequently, NASA continues to refine and develop spacesuit technology to ensure astronaut safety and mission success. The reliance on robotic assistants in these areas underscores the importance of integrating human and robotic exploration capabilities for future missions.
In summary, the Artemis program’s spacesuits, the xEMU and OCSS, represent significant advancements in design and functionality, tailored to meet the unique challenges of lunar exploration. As NASA progresses with the Artemis missions, continuous improvements to these suits will be crucial for achieving sustainable and safe human presence on the Moon
Artemis Technology Requirements and Innovations
NASA’s Artemis program is set to revolutionize space exploration by landing the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024 and establishing a sustainable human presence by the end of the decade. The program’s technological advancements are funded across three main categories: increasing access to planetary surfaces, enabling efficient and safe transportation into and through space, and expanding the utilization of space. These categories encompass a broad range of innovative technologies developed by various companies and institutions to support Artemis missions.
Increasing Access to Planetary Surfaces
Blue Origin’s High-Precision Landing Technologies
- Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN): Integrates TRN with navigation doppler lidar and altimetry sensors to conduct tests before lunar approaches. This technology aims to ensure smooth and precise landings on the Moon’s uneven terrain.
- Cryogenic Liquid Propulsion System: Awarded £7.8 million ($10 million) to develop a novel cryogenic propulsion system for lunar landers, enhancing the precision and reliability of landing operations.
Honeybee Robotics Ltd.
- Planetary Sample Capture Device: Developing a device featuring a footpad-integrated sampling tube and sample sorting station. This technology aims to collect surface soil or regolith on another world, which could be returned to Earth for analysis. It is planned to fly on the Masten Space Systems rocket-powered lander vehicle.
Enabling Efficient and Safe Transportation Into and Through Space
SSL (Space Systems Loral)
- Refueling Satellites: Developing methods to refuel satellites in space by transferring xenon from a tanker to an active spacecraft, increasing the lifespan and reducing the cost of satellite operations.
ULA (United Launch Alliance)
- Mid-Air Retrieval Technologies: Demonstrating technologies capable of retrieving vehicles returning from low-Earth orbit, lifting up to 8,000 pounds mid-air, which could significantly reduce recovery costs and improve safety.
Johns Hopkins University
- Lunar Radiation Hazard Characterization and Monitoring System: Developing a comprehensive system to monitor and characterize lunar radiation hazards. This technology is slated to fly on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
- ChipSats Deployment and Re-Entry: Evaluating miniaturized satellites for studying difficult-to-explore regions of Earth’s upper atmosphere and other planetary atmospheres. These technologies will also fly on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
Expanding Utilization of Space
NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program
- Selected 25 promising space technologies for testing on aircraft, high-altitude balloons, and suborbital rockets. These flights simulate spaceflight conditions at lower costs and risks than orbital missions, providing crucial data to refine these innovations for future NASA missions.
University of Central Florida
- Lunar Dust Charging Behavior Experiment: Aiming to understand how lunar dust interacts with other particles and surfaces. This experiment will be conducted in lunar-like environments aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
The Artemis program’s success hinges on the development and integration of cutting-edge technologies by various partners, from precise landing systems and advanced propulsion to innovative sample collection and radiation monitoring. These advancements not only support lunar exploration but also lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars and beyond. NASA’s collaborative approach, leveraging the expertise of small businesses and research institutions, ensures a robust and dynamic technological ecosystem driving human space exploration forward.
From cryogenic oxygen management to lunar surface power systems, Artemis is fostering the development of technologies essential for sustainable lunar operations.
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate has awarded funds to small businesses to advance technologies crucial for Artemis. These include high-bandwidth optical communications, autonomous spacecraft health management, oxygen and steel production from lunar regolith, and traction control for lunar rovers.
NASA’s Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) opportunity seeks U.S. university innovations for sustainable lunar operations, focusing on in-situ resource utilization and sustainable power systems. Selected proposals will contribute to the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative and Artemis program, enhancing capabilities for extracting and processing lunar resources and developing robust power systems.
NASA program called LuSTR (Lunar Surface Technology Research) announced in July 2020. The program aimed to fund research by US universities on developing technologies for sustainable lunar exploration.
The two key areas of focus for LuSTR were:
-
In-situ resource utilization (ISRU): This involves using materials found on the Moon itself, like lunar soil (regolith), to produce essential supplies for lunar bases. The program sought proposals for advancements in:
- Extracting and processing water from lunar regolith, potentially for use as rocket fuel or drinking water.
- Tools and techniques to identify areas rich in water-bearing regolith.
-
Sustainable power systems: The lunar night lasts 14 Earth days, and some permanently shadowed craters hold scientific interest. This area of LuSTR focused on:
- Flexible power distribution systems for hard-to-reach locations and mobile applications.
- Wireless power transmission for areas where traditional methods are impractical.
- Radiation-resistant power electronics, particularly using silicon carbide components.
- Long-lasting, low-temperature batteries for reliable lunar power anywhere.
- Advanced power system control for managing diverse and distributed energy sources.
Fibertek, Herndon, Virginia
Fibertek will advance optical communications technologies for small spacecraft around the Moon and beyond. Their system aims to establish high-bandwidth communications in the lunar vicinity, enabling the relay of vast amounts of data from lunar landers to Earth. This technology is crucial for maintaining robust communication links and ensuring the seamless transmission of scientific data.
Qualtech Systems, Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Qualtech Systems will mature autonomous systems capable of continuously monitoring and providing fault and health management for spacecraft, such as Gateway — the future Moon-orbiting outpost. Their technology will ensure the operational safety of spacecraft, habitats, and rovers, whether they are crewed or uncrewed. This autonomous fault management system is vital for the long-term sustainability and reliability of lunar missions.
Pioneer Astronautics, Lakewood, Colorado
Pioneer Astronautics will build and demonstrate hardware to produce oxygen and steel from lunar regolith (soil). This technology supports sustainable lunar operations by utilizing resources already available on the Moon, a process known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). By enabling the production of essential materials like oxygen and steel on the Moon, this innovation reduces the need for resource transport from Earth, thereby lowering mission costs and enhancing self-sufficiency.
Protoinnovations, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Protoinnovations will advance traction control and improve the driving ability of robotic and crewed rovers on the Moon’s highly variable and unknown terrain. Enhancing the mobility of lunar rovers is critical for the exploration and utilization of the lunar surface, ensuring that both robotic and human explorers can safely and effectively traverse the Moon’s challenging landscapes.
In October 2020, NASA awarded “Tipping Point” contracts worth over $370 million to companies developing transformative space technologies. These projects include cryogenic technology testing and lunar surface innovations, such as wireless charging systems, precision landing systems, and a 4G LTE network for the Moon.
Cryogenics
- Eta Space, $27M: In-space demonstration of a complete cryogenic oxygen management system
- Lockheed Martin, $89.7M: In-space demonstration of liquid hydrogen in over a dozen cryogenic applications
- SpaceX, $53.2M: Flight demonstration transferring 10 tons of liquid oxygen between tanks in Starship
- ULA, $86.2M: Demonstration of a smart propulsion cryogenic system on a Vulcan Centaur upper stage
Lunar surface innovation
- Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance, $22.1M: Develop a small tech and science platform for lunar surface testing
- Astrobotic, $5.8M: “Mature” a fast wireless charging system for use on the lunar surface
- Intuitive Machines, $41.6M: Develop a hopper lander with a 2.2-pound payload capacity and 1.5-mile range
- Masten Space Systems, $2.8M: Demonstrate a universal chemical heat and power source for lunar nights and craters
- Masten Space Systems, $10M: Demonstrate precision landing an hazard avoidance on its Xogdor vehicle (Separate award under “descent and landing” heading)
- Nokia of America, $14.1M: Deploy the first LTE network in space for lunar surface communications
- pH Matter, $3.4M: Demonstrate a fuel cell for producing and storing energy on the lunar surface
- Precision Compustion, $2.4M: Advance a cheap oxide fuel stack to generate power from propellants
- Sierra Nevada, $2.4M: Demonstrate a device using solar energy to extract oxygen from lunar regolith
- SSL Robotics, $8.7M: Develop a lighter, cheaper robotic arm for surface, orbital, and “terrestrial defense” applications
- Teledyne Energy Systems, $2.8M: Develop a hydrogen fuel cell power system with a 10,000-hour battery life
Multi-Junction Solar Cells for Space
A standard solar cell is a flat diode designed to absorb sunlight and convert electromagnetic radiation into electricity via the photovoltaic effect. Depending on their design, different solar cells capture different ranges of the solar spectrum. Most terrestrial solar cells have a single diode, or junction, to convert photons to electrons, which works well for widespread applications like rooftops or open areas. However, for space missions, where solar panels must be launched on rockets and deployed on complex mechanisms, more power per area is needed than single-junction cells can provide. Therefore, three-junction (3J) solar cells have become the standard for space applications over the past few decades. For NASA’s Gateway PPE solar panels, the latest multi-junction cell technology is required to meet ambitious energy needs.
Multi-junction solar cells consist of multiple layers stacked on top of each other to capture a broader range of solar energy. Each layer features different bandgaps optimized for various ranges of the solar spectrum, allowing the cell to harness a greater portion of incident sunlight and improve efficiency. Advanced space applications like the PPE module necessitate these sophisticated designs. Their increased efficiency allows NASA to specify lighter spacecraft with more compact solar arrays, directly benefiting rocket payloads where every kilogram saved counts. Additionally, multi-junction cells offer excellent radiation resistance, a crucial factor for space environments.
The Challenges of Testing Multi-Junction Solar Cells
Traditional solar simulation methods like Xenon flash lamps are adequate for simple solar cell designs but fall short when applied to multi-junction cells. These complex designs require a solar simulator capable of matching the spectrum and intensity each junction is designed for. Traditional Xenon flash lamps lack the flexibility needed beyond two or three junctions and have poor spatial non-uniformity across large areas. Given the size of the PPE’s solar arrays, about the size of a football field’s end zone, utilizing Xenon flash lamps would introduce significant complexity and costs.
How pLEDss Enables Sophisticated Testing
Programmable LED solar simulators (pLEDss) represent the next generation of solar simulation systems. These LED-based systems deliver superior performance when mimicking solar panel output under sunlight. They offer flexibility to address a wide range of current and future solar cell technologies. Programmable LED solar simulator technology has already measured solar cells with three, four, five, and even six junctions.
Solar simulators like pLEDss can individually control each LED light, allowing engineers to apply enhanced tests using both spectral and spatial non-uniformities. This control provides deep insights into the cell’s health, identifying potential hotspots, manufacturing defects, and efficiency. For instance, manufacturing defects can generate different currents at each junction. Traditional solar simulator systems cannot measure these differences after cells are assembled into strings. However, pLEDss technology can measure the current at each junction, even in an assembled string.
LED-based solar simulators can also adjust the light intensity applied to individual solar cells and their junctions, ensuring performance and efficiency. This high level of control allows for testing and calibrating various solar cell technologies according to specific application requirements. Moreover, this technology is automated, saving NASA significant time and resources while delivering improved measurement accuracy, repeatability, and speed.
Flexible pLEDss Technology for Future Cells
Today, five-junction (5J) solar cells are flying their first missions, and six-junction (6J) designs are in development. Programmable LED solar simulator technology was designed to address the challenges of multi-junction cells, no matter how many junctions. This ensures that pLEDss will meet the needs of spacecraft using advanced solar cells of the future, supporting NASA’s ambitious goals for the Artemis program and beyond.
International and Commercial Partnerships
NASA recognizes the importance of collaboration in achieving the ambitious goals of the Artemis program. By partnering with international space agencies and commercial companies, NASA aims to foster a global effort in lunar exploration. The Artemis Accords, a set of principles for space exploration, outline the framework for international cooperation, ensuring that space activities are conducted peacefully and responsibly.
Inspiring the Future
One of the most profound impacts of the Artemis program is its potential to inspire a new generation of explorers, scientists, and engineers. By pushing the boundaries of human exploration, Artemis will ignite curiosity and passion for space among young people worldwide. Educational initiatives and outreach programs associated with Artemis will engage students and educators, encouraging them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Conclusion
NASA’s Artemis program represents a giant leap forward in our quest to explore the universe. By returning humans to the Moon and establishing a sustainable presence, Artemis will lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars and beyond. This ambitious endeavor not only advances our scientific knowledge and technological capabilities but also embodies the spirit of exploration that defines humanity. As we stand on the cusp of this new era, the Artemis program promises to transform our understanding of the cosmos and inspire generations to reach for the stars.
References and resources also include:
https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/14/nasa-loads-14-companies-with-370m-for-tipping-point-technologies/
