15th Biennial ASCE Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments
ATHLETE as a Mobile ISRU and Regolith Construction Platform
Publication: Earth and Space 2016: Engineering for Extreme Environments
ABSTRACT
The all-terrain hex-limbed extra-terrestrial explorer (ATHLETE) robotic mobility platform can provide precision positioning and mobility for site preparation and regolith construction needs. ATHLETE is a multi-use platform designed to use swap-out tools and implements that can be applied to any number of tasks that need precision limb manipulation or mobility. Major capabilities include off-loading habitats, transporting surface assets, robotically assembling outposts from multiple mission manifests, and supporting science and technology objectives. This paper describes conceptual approaches for supporting NASA regolith construction research, such as additive construction, modular brick and panel factory, and mobile ISRU platform.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The research described in this paper was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.
REFERENCES
M Barmatz; O Iny; T Yiin; I Kahn (1995). Vibration Method for Tracking the Resonant Mode and Impedance of a Microwave Cavity. Ceramic Transactions Volume 59, pp167-174. Westerville, Ohio, USA: The American Ceramic Society.
M Barmatz; D Steinfeld; D Winterhalter; D Rickman; M Weinstein (2013). Microwave Heating Studies and Instrumentation for Processing Lunar Regolith and Simulants. 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Woodlands, Texas, USA, 18 –22 Mar 2013. Houston, Texas, USA: Lunar and Planetary Institute.
M Barmatz; D Steinfeld; M Anderson; D Winterhalter (2014). 3D Microwave Print Head Approach for Processing Lunar and Mars Regolith. 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Woodlands, Texas, USA, 17 –21 Mar 2014. Houston, Texas, USA: Lunar and Planetary Institute.
BL Ehlmann (2012). Aqueous Minerals of Early Mars: Weathering, Hydrothermal, and Diagenetic Environments (LPI Contribution No 1680, abstract 7084). Third Conference on Early Mars, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA21 – 25 May 2012. Houston, Texas, USA: Lunar and Planetary Institute.
K Ho; O de Weck; J Hoffman; R Shishko (2014). Dynamic Modeling and Optimization for Space Logistics Using Time-Expanded Networks. Acta Astronautica, volume 105, number 2, pp428–443.
AS Howe; G Spexarth; L Toups; R Howard; M Rudisill; J Dorsey (2010). Constellation Architecture Team: Lunar Outpost Scenario 12.1 Habitation Concept. Proceedings of the Twelfth Biennial ASCE Aerospace Division International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments (Earth & Space 2010); Honolulu, Hawaii, 14 – 17 March 2010. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Society of Civil Engineers.
AS Howe; B Wilcox (2016). Outpost Assembly using the ATHLETE Mobility System. IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, USA, 5 – 12 Mar 2016. New York, New York, USA: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
AS Howe; B Wilcox; C Mcquin; D Mittman; J Townsend; R Polit-Casillas; T Litwin (2014). Modular Additive Construction Using Native Materials. Proceedings of the Fourteenth Biennial ASCE Aerospace Division International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments (Earth & Space 2014).St Louis, Missouri, 27 – 29 Oct 2014. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Society of Civil Engineers.
AS Howe; B Wilcox; C McQuin; J Townsend; R Rieber; M Barmatz; J Leichty (2013). Faxing Structures to the Moon: Freeform Additive Construction System (FACS) (AIAA2013-5437). AIAA Space 2013 Conference & Exhibition. San Diego, California, USA, 10 – 12 Sep 2013. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
JAXA (2015). Japan Space Scientists Make Wireless Energy Breakthrough. Phys Org, March 12, 2015. Retrieved 19 Mar 2015 from http://phys.org/news/2015-03-japan-space-scientists-wireless-energy.html
B Khoshnevis; P Bodiford; K Burks; E Ethridge; D Tucker; W Kim; H Toutanji; M Fiske (2005). Lunar Contour Crafting: A Novel Technique for ISRU Based Habitat Development (AIAA2005-538). AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, Nevada, USA, 10 – 13 Jan 2005. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
SS Kim; SR Carnes; AF Haldemann; CT Ulmer; E Ng; SA Arcone (2006). Miniature Ground Penetrating Radar, CRUX GPR, Paper 1365. IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, 4 – 11 Mar 2006.
JC Mankins (2009). New Directions for Space Solar Power. Acta Astronautica, volume 65, issues 1–2, Jul–Aug 2009, pp146–156.
MT Mellon; WC Feldman (2006). The global distribution of Martian subsurface ice and regional ice stability (abstract 2204). Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVII, League City, Texas, USA, 13 – 17 Mar 2006. Houston, Texas, USA: Lunar and Planetary Institute.
R Mueller; S Howe; D Kochmann; H Ali; C Andersen; H Burgoyne; W Chambers; R Clinton; X De Kestellier; K Ebelt; S Gerner; D Hofmann; K Hogstrom; E Ilves; A Jerves; R Keenan; J Keravala; B Khoshnevis; S Lim; P Metzger; L Meza; T Nakamura; A Nelson; H Partridge; D Pettit; R Pyle; E Reiners; A Shapiro; R Singer; WL Tan; N Vazquez; B Wilcox; A Zelhofer (2016). Additive Construction for Earth and Space Using In-situ Resources. Proceedings of the Fifteenth Biennial ASCE Aerospace Division International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments (Earth & Space 2016). Orlando, Florida, USA, 11 - 15 Apr 2016. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Society of Civil Engineers.
RP Mueller; RH King (2008). Trade Study of Excavation Tools and Equipment for Lunar Outpost Development and ISRU. Space Technology and Applications International Forum (STAIF2008).Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 10 – 14 Feb 2008. Proceedings, pp237-244. Melville, New York, USA: American Institute of Physics AIP Press
T Nakamura; B Smith (2011). Solar Thermal System for Lunar ISRU Applications: Development and Field Operation at Mauna Kea, HI (AIAA2011-433). 49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting / New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition. Orlando, Florida, USA, 4 – 7 Jan 2011. Reston, Virginia, USA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
FR Shapiro (2002). Utilities in the sky?: Comparison of space-based and terrestrial solar power systems. Refocus, Elsevier, volume 3, issue 6, Nov – Dec 2002, pp54–57.
LA Taylor; TT Meek (2005). Microwave sintering of lunar soil: properties, theory, and practice. Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Volume 18, Number 3, July 2005, pp188-196.
BH Wilcox (2012). ATHLETE: A Limbed Vehicle for Solar System Exploration. IEEE Aerospace Conference, 3 – 10 Mar 2012, Big Sky, Montana, USA.New York, NY, USA: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
BH Wilcox; T Litwin; J Biesiadecki; J Matthews; M Heverly; J Townsend; N Ahmad; A Sirota; B Cooper (2007). ATHLETE: A Cargo Handling and Manipulation Robot for the Moon. Journal of Field Robotics, Volume 24, Number 5, pp421-434.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Earth and Space 2016: Engineering for Extreme Environments
Pages: 560 - 575
Editors: Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, Juan H. Agui, Ph.D., NASA Glenn Research Center, and Paul J. van Susante, Ph.D, Michigan Technological University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-7997-1
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Jun 29, 2017
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.