HONEYBEE ROBOTICS, LTD.

Federal contract awards won by HONEYBEE ROBOTICS, LTD. (UEI F7UHKQTEYHW8), 2018–2021 — public record from USAspending.

Showing awards of $250K+ active within the last 5 years. Need older history or smaller awards? Tell us what you need — we expand by request.

10
awards
$129,226,946
total value
1
agency

Agencies buying from HONEYBEE ROBOTICS, LTD.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (10)

What HONEYBEE ROBOTICS, LTD. sells

541715 — RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY) (8)541330 — ENGINEERING SERVICES (2)

Awards

DESIGN, PROTOTYPE, AND TEST THE LUNAR ARRAY MAST AND POWER SYSTEM (LAMPS), A SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE 10 KILOWATTS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AND BE ROBOTICALLY DEPLOYABLE AT THE SOUTH POLE OF THE LUNAR SURFACE.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $7,707,558 · Sep 21, 2021
ONE-METER CLASS DRILLING FOR PLANETARY EXPLORATION
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $12,534,768 · Sep 14, 2020
EXTRA-VEHICULAR ACTIVITY CREW DEPLOYED CORING AND.SEALING SYSTEMS
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $1,756,801 · Aug 25, 2020
THE SAMPLE ACQUISITION AT MARS (SAM) SUITE INVESTIGATION WILL CAST A WIDE ANALYTICAL NET TO CAPTURE CHEMICAL INDICATORS OF THE HABITABILITY OF MARS. SAM WILL "FIND THE CARBON" REVEALING THEIR LIKELY SOURCE AND TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESSES.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $2,362,873 · Aug 1, 2020
ROBOTIC ISRU CONSTRUCTION OF PLANETARY LANDING AND LAUNCH PAD
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $1,000,518 · Mar 2, 2020
KARLE SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEM
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $1,006,565 · Jan 15, 2020
THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY FOR ACQUIRING AND TRANSFERRING REGOLITH FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE TO INSTRUMENTS AND SAMPLE RETURN CONTAINERS
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $5,326,462 · Nov 19, 2019
OCEAN WORLDS AND MARS ARE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO ASTROBIOLOGY SINCE THEY COULD OFFER CLUES IN THE QUEST TO DISCOVER LIFE BEYOND OUR HOME PLANET. EUROPA HAS BEEN A PRIMARY TARGET IN THE SEARCH FOR PAST OR PRESENT LIFE BECAUSE IT IS STILL GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE AND HAS A LARGE OCEAN UNDERNEATH AN ICE SHELL (DESPITE BEING SMALLER THAN OUR MOON, EUROPA HAS MORE WATER THAN EARTH). THEREFORE, WE WILL FOCUS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ON EUROPA. HOWEVER THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY (WITH VARIOUS DEGREE OF MODIFICATION) COULD ALSO BE USED ON OTHER OCEAN WORLDS AND MARS. TO ADVANCE FORWARD, A PROBE WOULD NEED TO􀁇DESTROY􀁇 THE FORMATION AND MOVE THE DRILLED MATERIAL BEHIND IT. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA TWO PRIMARY METHODS: THERMAL AND MECHANICAL. EACH OF THESE TWO METHODS HAS UNIQUE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES BUT NEITHER IS SUFFICIENT TO REACH THE OCEAN. THERMAL PROBES (E.G. MELT PROBES, CLOSED CYCLE HOT WATER DRILLS - CCHWD, LASERS) ARE VERY ROBUST PENETRATORS THAT REQUIRE JUST HEAT TO MELT THROUGH AND ADVANCE DEEPER BELOW THE SURFACE. THERMAL PROBES, HOWEVER, ARE SLOW (ESPECIALLY IN CRYOGENIC ICE), REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF POWER (KW TO 10S OF KW, DEPENDING ON THE PROBE􀁇S DIAMETER AND LENGTH), AND ARE INEFFICIENT, BECAUSE>90% OF THE HEAT IS LOST INTO SURROUNDING ICE. MECHANICAL DRILLING SYSTEMS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE APPROXIMATELY 100X MORE EFFICIENT AND SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER. FOR THAT REASON THEY ARE PRIMARY METHODS OF MAKING HOLES AND CAPTURING ICE CORES IN GREENLAND AND ANTARCTICA. THEY CAN ALSO PENETRATE MATERIALS OTHER THAN ICE (E.G. SALTS). THE MAJOR DRAWBACK OF THESE DRILLS RELATES TO CHIPS REMOVAL. CHIPS NEED TO BE REMOVED BY EITHER PERIODICALLY LIFTING THE DRILL WITH CHIPS BASKET OUT OF THE HOLE (CONVENTIONAL METHOD USED IN TERRESTRIAL ICE DRILLING) OR LIFTING THE CHIPS ABOVE THE PROBE AND RECOMPACTING THEM TO THEIR ORIGINAL DENSITY (E.G. INCH WORM APPROACH). IN SUMMARY, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS HAVE VERY EFFICIENT FORMATION BREAKING APPROACH WHILE THERMAL SYSTEMS HAVE VERY EFFECTIVE CHIPS REMOVAL APPROACH. SLUSH IS A THERMO-MECHANICAL PROBE THAT COMBINES THE BEST FROM THESE TWO TECHNIQUES: MECHANICAL DRILL TO BREAK THE FORMATION AND MELTING TO REMOVE THE CUTTINGS). HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF MELTING AN ENTIRE VOLUME OF ICE, SLUSH MELTS JUST A FRACTION OF IT TO FORM SLUSH. SLUSH BEHAVES LIKE LIQUID BUT IS STILL PARTIALLY FROZEN THIS ENABLES SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN POWER DRAW. SINCE MECHANICAL APPROACH GENERATES HIGHER PENETRATION RATES, SLUSH CAN ALSO REACH THE OCEAN IN MUCH SHORTER TIME. SLUSH LOOKS LIKE A TORPEDO WITH A DRILL BIT IN FRONT AND ANTI-TORQUE BLADES ON THE SIDE (PROVEN SYSTEM IN ANTARCTIC WIRELINE DRILLS). IT HOUSES SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS FOR IN-SITU ANALYSIS. IT IS CONNECTED TO A SURFACE LANDER BY AN UMBILICAL FOR DATA AND POWER. TO REDUCE POWER DRAW FROM THE SURFACE ENERGY SUPPLY NEEDED FOR PARTIAL MELTING, SLUSH INCORPORATES GENERAL PURPOSE HEAT SOURCE􀁇 BRICKS WITH ~250 WATT THERMAL POWER. ONCE SLUSH PASSES THROUGH THE CRYOGENIC LICE (A FEW KM THICK), IT CAN USE JUST A THERMAL APPROACH TO MELT THROUGH THE WARMER ICE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR MECHANICAL CUTTING. THERMAL PROBES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFICIENT IN TEMPERED (WARM) ICE. UNDER PICASSO, THE TRL OF SLUSH WILL BE INCREASED FROM TRL2 TO TRL4. WE WOULD FOCUS ON TWO OF THE MOST CRITICAL TECHNICAL ASPECTS: DRILLING/MELTING AND CHIPS TRANSPORT. TO REACH TRL4, WE PROPOSE TO: 1. DEVELOP HIGH LEVEL DESIGNS AND THERMAL MODELS FOR CRYOGENIC AND WARM ICE TO ESTABLISH POWER LEVELS NEEDED FOR PARTIAL MELTING, AND CONSTRAIN PROBE􀁇S DIAMETER AND LENGTH. 2. BREADBOARD CRITICAL SUBSYSTEMS THAT WILL SUPPORT TRL4 SLUSH DESIGN. 3. DESIGN AND BUILD TRL 4 SLUSH AND TEST IT IN OUR 5 M TALL FREEZER AND IN OUR 3.5 M TALL THERMAL VACUUM CHAMBER IN EUROPA ANALOG ICE. 4. UPDATE HIGH LEVEL SLUSH DESIGN BASED ON TEST DATA.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $865,597 · May 23, 2019
REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $3,924,956 · Apr 19, 2019
DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · $92,740,848 · Dec 17, 2018

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