One of the major challenges of space exploration technology is designing equipment and vehicles that can operate in extreme temperatures.
NASA is planning on returning to the Moon with its Artemis missions and part of the project will involve exploring the satellite’s south pole.
This is seen as an area of scientific interest, as well as a potential landing spot for Artemis missions.
The region is colder than the surface of Mars however, with temperatures plunging to -173°C during the lunar night at the poles - which last for around 14 Earth days.
This is too cold for current landers and rovers which rely on carrying onboard heaters to operate, adding weight and using up valuable fuel and energy.
Now the agency is to test a device known as the Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm, or COLDArm, which does not need to be kept warm in the frigid lunar conditions.
It does so thanks to a combination of innovative technology and specially developed technology.
Instead of using grease to lubricate the moving parts, for example, COLDArm uses gears made of a material known as bulk metallic glass.
This solid metallic structure is stronger than steel and tougher than ceramic, while remaining more flexible than either.
Technology is able to operate at extremely cold temperatures
Like the gears, which do not need heating or lubrication to function, the robot’s cold motor controllers can work at extremely low temperatures.
This allows them to be situated closer to the scientific instruments and sensors rather than being shielded in a box near the centre of the spacecraft.
This reduces the requirements for insulation and heavy cabling between the points.
A special sensor known as a six-axis force torque sensor can also operate in extreme cold, allowing the robot to ‘feel’ what it is doing as the arm moves in different directions.
Other technology used on COLDArm include a range of cameras and a powerful processor similar to those used in smartphones and some flight software.
The device is also autonomous, meaning it will be able to perform tasks and gather data without real-time control from mission controllers on Earth.
Project principal investigator Ryan McCormick compared the device to the killer android in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’, which was able to be frozen solid.
“The bad guy can’t work in those temperatures, but COLDArm could,” he said.
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