Sintering End Effector for Regolith

NASA is requesting technologies for a sintering end-effector. Blueshift d/b/a Outward Technologies proposes to develop an end effector system for selective sintering of lunar regolith with sunlight that can interface with different types of solar concentrators. This Sintering End Effector for Regolith (SEER) will implement an innovative design that enables indefinite exposure to sintering temperatures and utilizes Outwardrsquo;s patent pending concentrated solar thermal control technology for delivering and maintaining temperatures within 1% of the set point. Benefits of the proposed innovation include precise temperature control for consistent sintering, resistance to damage from high temperature exposure for prolonged use, 95% transmission efficiency across the spectrum of sunlight, up to 5x concentration enhancement, and a system that is lightweight and easily deployed. The Phase I effort will focus on the design, fabrication, and testing of the SEER system for sintering lunar regolith over long periods of time. Three key features will be developed and demonstrated: precision temperature control around the sintering temperature of regolith (1,100deg; C to within 1% of target), prolonged use at sintering temperatures (30 minutes non-stop in Phase I), and maximizing efficiency through testing various prototype design variables. Phase I will conclude with a demonstration of sintering a 2D shape into a bed on Lunar regolith simulant JSC-1A.