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PROJECT 02 / LUNAR ROBOTICS DESIGN & TESTING

IPEx TRL 5 Robot

Mechanical integration and environmental testing for a lunar excavation rover and its mission demonstration.

IPEx TRL 5 excavation robot in a simulated lunar testbed
Figure 1. The Infrastructure Pilot Excavator (IPEx) is designed to autonomously collect lunar regolith to support a sustained presence on the Moon. The collected material could be used to build structures or extract water and oxygen.

My contributions

  • Tested custom IPEx actuators in a vacuum chamber using a cryocooler, temperature and torque sensors, and a brake to characterize performance under simulated lunar conditions.
  • Assembled and led a camera testing campaign including thermal-vacuum environments representative of lunar conditions, vibration testing to launch loads, and functional testing.
  • Redesigned radiator cover actuator housing and radiator cover profile to improve mitigation of dust particles post electrostatic test campaign.
  • Assembled, wired, and tested the IPEx TRL 5 rover for a five-day continuous demonstration of digging and dumping operations; coordinated simulations and monitored robot safety during 13-hour night shifts.

TRL5 Demo

IPEx TRL 5 demonstration, narrated. Video: NASA.

Testing

Actuator thermal-vacuum test rig diagram and photographs of the instrumented actuator
TVAC: IPEx actuator testing under various operating loads to characterize life expectancySee more
Camera thermal-vacuum test setup and a close-up of the camera inside the chamber
TVAC: Testing to characterize sensor and lens degradation due to lunar temperaturesSee more
Camera assembly, sensor, and lens mounted on a vibration test fixture
Vibe: Testing to verify sensor and lens functionality, housing integrity, and image quality after exposure to launch loadsSee more
Two views of the radiator potential difference test setup inside a chamber
Radiator Potential Difference Test: Led test campaign to characterize tribo-charging of radiator to understand potential of dust lofting onto itSee more

Explore IPEx at NASA

Next project: Mini RASSOR