Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has revealed that it is among the eleven US-based companies selected by NASA to advance moon exploration through technology.
Blue Origin, which was awarded $34.7 million, was included in the list for its innovative Blue Alchemist technology, which it revealed in February this year.
“Harnessing the vast resources in space to benefit Earth is part of our mission, and we’re inspired and humbled to receive this investment from NASA to advance our innovation,” said Pat Remias, vice president of the Capabilities Directorate of Space Systems Development.
What is Blue Alchemist, and How Will It Benefit Moon Exploration?
The Moon’s surface is covered in a lot of dust and crushed rock, which is called lunar regolith.
Blue Alchemist is a proposed end-to-end, scalable, autonomous, and commercial system that converts lunar regolith into solar cells.[1]
The innovation, which is based on a procedure known as molten regolith electrolysis, would establish infinite electricity and power transmission lines anywhere on the Moon’s surface.
The reactor uses regolith simulants to produce iron, silicon, and aluminum by passing an electrical current to separate the elements from oxygen.
This mechanism, which falls under NASA’s need for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), also yields oxygen as a beneficial byproduct and is usable for rocket propulsion and life support.
NASA considers Blue Alchemist technology at a Tipping Point if the investment can grow it into a commercial solution.
The investment aims for autonomous operation in a simulated lunar environment by 2026.
References
- Blue Origin, ‘Blue Origin Awarded NASA Partnership to Turn Lunar Regolith into Solar-Power Systems on the Moon’, 25 July 2023, https://www.blueorigin.com/news/blue-origin-awarded-nasa-partnership-to-turn-lunar-regolith-into-solar-power-systems-on-the-moon[↩]
