Scalable Lunar Power Study launched by Honda and Astrobotic
Honda Motor Co. And Astrobotic Technology have concluded a joint development agreement to investigate scalable Lunar Power solutions that combine Honda’s Regenerative Fuel Cell (RFC) system with Astrobotic’s Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) and Lunagrid service. The collaboration is intended to deliver continuous and reliable power for extensive moon surface operations, especially during the two -week moon evening.
The RFC system from Honda, a circulative cycle of renewable energy, uses solar energy and water to produce oxygen, hydrogen and electricity. During Monday, solar energy is stored as hydrogen, which turns the system back to electricity at night. The process yields water as the only by-product, which is recycled in Honda’s high-pressure electrolysis system to close the EnergieLus.
The Lunagrid service from Astrobotic is developed as a modular electricity infrastructure for a wide customer base. In the core is the usable, sunflowing VSAT. Current designs include a VSAT system of 10 kW and a larger 50 KW VSAT-XL to meet the growing power needs for future missions.
The feasibility study will focus on three main objectives: assessing lighting conditions on potential Lunagrid sites, evaluating the scalability of Honda RFC and defining integration requirements between Honda and astrobotic hardware and software.
By linking the RFC to VSAT, Honda and Astrobotic expect to ensure uninterrupted energy supply about Monday evening cycles. This possibility would improve the resilience of the mission, support permanent human presence, enable infrastructure construction and open opportunities for the moon industry.
As part of the research, both companies will model solar string profiles for a year at candidate landing places in the South Pole. Simulations will guide the scales of the RFC to match the energy storage required for different mission architectures, which ensures sufficient electricity for electrolysis and persistent nightly electricity.
