PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Astrobotic Technology Inc. and American Honda Motor Co. Inc. this week announced a joint development agreement aimed at developing a scalable and integrated power solution for sustained lunar surface missions. 

The joint feasibility study will explore how the Honda regenerative fuel cell system can be integrated with Astrobotic’s vertical solar array technology and LunaGrid service to provide continuous power, even during prolonged periods of darkness on the moon.

The Honda RFC system, known as a circulative renewable energy system, is designed to continuously produce oxygen, hydrogen and electricity using solar energy and water. During the lunar day, the RFC system stores solar power as hydrogen and converts it into electricity during the lunar night. After generating electricity, the only byproduct of the fuel cell is water, which is recycled into the Honda high-pressure water electrolysis system to create a closed-loop energy cycle.

Astrobotic is creating a scalable power infrastructure service called LunaGrid that is designed to supply sustained lunar surface power for a wide range of lunar missions and customers. A key component of LunaGrid is the Astrobotic VSAT, a solar-powered system that is deployable, self-leveling and capable of sun tracking for optimal energy capture. Astrobotic is developing a 10 kW VSAT system, along with the extra-large vertical solar array technology, which would generate 50 kW of power to support the growing power requirements of planned lunar missions.

“Astrobotic’s LunaGrid is being developed to deliver reliable, continuous power for lunar surface missions, revolutionizing the economics of exploration,” said Bobby Rolley, lunar power systems architect at Astrobotic. “By enabling survival through the harsh lunar night and extending mission durations from days to years, LunaGrid will significantly boost mission performance and data return per dollar invested. Our collaboration with Honda is a major move in this vision, as their scalable energy storage technology will enhance both LunaGrid and our vertical solar array technology, expanding our overall power generation and storage capabilities.”

Honda and Astrobotic plan to conduct a feasibility study that will focus on three key objectives:

  • Conducting detailed illumination studies to assess power generation and storage requirements at different sites where the LunaGrid system will be deployed.
  • Evaluating the scalability of the Honda RFC system for LunaGrid’s use.
  • Assessing hardware and software integration with the Honda RFC and Astrobotic VSAT to define RFC system requirements that ensure reliable operation in future deployments.

“The collaboration between Honda and Astrobotic marks a pivotal step toward creating scalable power solutions for long-term lunar surface missions,” said Derek Adelman, chief engineer of the Space Development Division at American Honda Motor Co. “Powered by core Honda technologies, our regenerative fuel cell system is designed to provide efficient energy storage and regeneration to support sustained human life on the moon as well as advance zero-emission applications on Earth.”

Pictured at top: A rendering of a scalable lunar power solution integrating the Honda regenerative fuel cell system with Astrobotic’s vertical solar array technology.