On The Moon To Stay? The PSTDL at Michigan Tech Caught The Attention of NASA

The Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab at Michigan Tech has gained the attention of NASA as they competed and succeeded to be one of four teams nationwide to advance to the next level to promote their design for a lunar power management system.

Travis Wavrunek, the team lead, explained that the team’s goal is to be able to design and provide sustainable power so people can live and work on the moon for extended periods of time. The lunar day night cycle is different from Earth’s, meaning it’s dark for two weeks at a time. Using previous technology the lab received an award for, the lab developed tethered rovers that could deliver power via superconducting cables, now complete with a power management system and a battery storage hub to connect power infrastructure elements.

The team members include Travis Wavrunek, Marcello Guadagno, Hunter McGillivray, Collin Miller, Austen Goddu, Erik Van Horn, Chuck Carey, Parker Bradshaw, Nate Bruursema, Brian Johnson, Austin McDonald, Suhayb Zeqlam, and Isaac Couling, assisted by research engineers Ben Wiegand and George Johnson.

The team will prepare to test their prototypes in a simulated lunar environment at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio in spring of next year.

See more information on the Michigan Tech News.