NASA gives Stone Aerospace $175,000 for lunar cave drone study
NASA is backing a pretty wild project: sending a laser-powered drone into giant caves under the Moon's surface.
NASA has given $175,000 to Stone Aerospace for preliminary research into this mission, which gets its power through fiber-optic cables.
Mare Tranquillitatis skylight targeted for exploration
The mission will target Mare Tranquillitatis skylight, a 436-foot-deep opening leading to ancient lava tubes that could protect future astronauts from radiation.
The drone uses a power-over-fiber system and cold-gas thrusters designed for the Moon's tough environment.
Exploring these pitch-black, GPS-free tunnels won't be easy, but, as Stone Aerospace's physics lead Gilly Elor puts it, "The proposed study could enable the first off-world cave exploration."
This project is part of NASA's bigger push to develop new tech for more advanced space missions.