← LeaderboardsInvestigatorsiAttributed = a PI's even-split share of each grant — a $1M grant with 2 PIs counts $500K each.
Honeybee Robotics, Ltd.
$7,061,652
Total funding
11
Grants
Funding over time
peak $3.2M · FY2020–22$5M$3.8M$2.5M$1.3M$0
'20
'21
'22
Funding mix
By agency
NASA$7,061,652 · 11
By mechanism
—$7,061,652 · 11
Investigators at Honeybee Robotics, Ltd.
InvestigatorsiAttributed = a PI's even-split share of each grant — a $1M grant with 2 PIs counts $500K each.
Exposure= the full size of every grant they're on ($1M each).
Rising Stars
First grant in the last 5 yrs
Not enough data
Emerging Leaders
6–10 yrs in
Not enough data
All-Time
Most funded here, all years
Not enough data
Largest grants
EUROPA IS A PRIMARY TARGET IN THE SEARCH FOR PAST OR PRESENT LIFE BECAUSE IT IS POTENTIALLY GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE AND LIKELY POSSESSES A DEEP GLOBAL OCEAN IN CONTACT WITH A ROCKY CORE UNDERNEATH ITS OUTER ICE SHELL. TO REACH THE SUBSURFACE OCEAN WHERE LIFE MAY BE MOST PREVALENT A PROBE WOULD NEED TO PENETRATE THE ICY FORMATION WHILE MOVING THE EXCAVATED MATERIAL BEHIND IT. THIS OPERATION CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA TWO METHODS: THERMAL (MELTING) OR MECHANICAL (CUTTING). MECHANICAL SYSTEMS BREAK THE ICY MATERIAL EFFICIENTLY BUT TRANSPORT ICE CHIPS INEFFICIENTLY. THERMAL SYSTEMS HAVE AN EFFECTIVE CHIP REMOVAL APPROACH BUT A POWER INTENSIVE ICE-MELTING STEP. THE SEARCH FOR LIFE USING SUBMERSIBLE HEATED (SLUSH) DRILL IS A HYBRID THERMOMECHANICAL DRILL PROBE SYSTEM THAT COMBINES THE MOST EFFICIENT ASPECTS OF THESE TWO TECHNIQUES. SLUSH IS 5 M LONG 57 CM DIAMETER PROBE WITH A HEATED DRILL BIT IN FRONT ANTITORQUE CUTTERS ON THE SIDE AND SEVERAL TETHER BAYS ON TOP. THE PROBE IS PARTIALLY FLOODED ONLY CRITICAL SUBSYSTEMS ARE INSIDE A PRESSURE VESSEL; THIS ALLOWS THE PROBE TO SINK RATHER THAN FLOAT. SLUSH UTILIZES A MECHANICAL DRILL TO BREAK THE FORMATION AND PARTIALLY MELTS THE FRAGMENTS TO ENABLE THE EFFICIENT TRANSPORT OF MATERIAL BEHIND THE PROBE. THE RESULTING SLUSH BEHAVES LIKE LIQUID DESPITE BEING PARTIALLY FROZEN ENABLING A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF THE POWER REQUIRED FOR MELTING THE FULL VOLUME OF ICE. FURTHER BECAUSE A MECHANICAL APPROACH GENERATES HIGHER PENETRATION RATES SLUSH CAN REACH THE OCEAN IN A MUCH SHORTER TIME THAN A PURE MELT PROBE. ONCE SLUSH PASSES THROUGH THE HAZARDOUS CRYOGENIC ICE IT COULD USE A PURELY THERMAL APPROACH TO MELT THROUGH THE WARMER ICE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR MECHANICAL CUTTING. SLUSH INCORPORATES THE KILOPOWER REACTOR FOR BOTH THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL NEEDS. THE FISSION REACTOR CAN BE TURNED ON/OFF AND IS SELFMODERATING SIGNIFICANTLY SIMPLIFYING THERMAL MANAGEMENT. THE PROBE IS PHYSICALLY CONNECTED TO A SURFACE LANDER BY A COMMUNICATIONS TETHER HOUSED IN SEVERAL SPOOL BAYS THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND IN THE ICE ONCE THE SPOOL IS DEPLETED. THIS ALLOWS EACH TETHER SECTION TO BE PURPOSE-DESIGNED. FOR EXAMPLE THE TOP SECTION WHICH MAY SEE 150 KPA SHEAR STRESSES ON A DIURNAL CYCLE WILL BE REINFORCED WITH KEVLAR. LEAVING THE SPOOLS BEHIND ALSO SHORTENS THE PROBE LENGTH AS IT DESCENDS MAKING PENETRATION MORE EFFICIENT. WHILE KEVLAR REINFORCEMENT AND THE REFROZEN CHANNEL LEFT BEHIND BY THE PROBE MAY PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM THE DIURNAL STRESS ENVIRONMENT IF THE TETHER DOES BREAK BROKEN SECTIONS CAN BE USED AS TUNABLE TETHER FOR COMMUNICATION. RF AND ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION WILL BE INVESTIGATED AS BACKUP SYSTEMS POTENTIALLY INCORPORATING TRANSCEIVERS INTO EACH SPOOL SECTION. UNDER SESAME WE WILL PERFORM THE FOLLOWING TASKS: 1. PERFORM FIRST ORDER ARCHITECTURE DESIGN AND IDENTIFY CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR SLUSH. 2. PERFORM ITERATIVE BREADBOARDING/TESTING OF CRITICAL SUBSYSTEMS UNDER REALISTIC EUROPAN CONDITIONS AND DOWNSELECT TO MOST FAVORABLE SOLUTIONS. PERFORM MODELLING OF CRITICAL SUBSYSTEMS IF TESTING IS NOT FEASIBLE. VALIDATE MODELS VIA TESTING IF POSSIBLE. 3. UPDATE SLUSH SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE BY INCORPORATING DOWNSELECTED SUBSYSTEMS 4. DEVELOP TRL4 PROTOTYPE HARDWARE AND TEST IN 3.5 M CRYO VACUUM CHAMBER AND 5 M FREEZER IN EUROPA ANALOG MATERIALS. 5. USE EXPERIMENTAL DATA TO VALIDATE MODELS AND EXTRAPOLATE TO FLIGHT-LIKE SYSTEM. KRIS ZACNY (PI) WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERALL PROJECT. HE WILL BE ASSISTED BY SCIENCE LEAD (CHRISTOPHE SOTIN) ICE SHELL ENVIRONMENT SPECIALIST (SAM HOWELL) THERMAL (SAM HOWELL SEIICHI NAGIHARA PAUL CHOW) COMM (MIKE TIPTON) AND SYSTEMS LEAD (GALE PAULSEN DAVE SMYTH). ALL WILL PARTICIPATE IN REVIEWS AND TESTS. ALL HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT FAB. ASSEMBLY AND TESTS WILL TAKE PLACE IN HONEYBEE S FACILITIES IN PASADENA CA.$1,639,748
· FY2020 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
THE SEARCH FOR LIFE USING SUBMERSIBLE HEATED (SLUSH) DRILL IS A HYBRID THERMO-MECHANICAL EUROPA PROBE UNDER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH NASA SESAME PROJECT. SLUSH UTILIZES A MECHANICAL DRILL TO BREAK THE FORMATION AND HEAT TO PARTIALLY MELT THE FRAGMENTS TO FORM SLUSH. THE RESULTING SLUSH BEHAVES LIKE LIQUID DESPITE BEING PARTIALLY FROZEN ENABLING A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF THE POWER REQUIRED FOR MELTING THE FULL$1,499,604
· FY2021 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
THE MOST READILY AVAILABLE OXYGEN SOURCE ON THE MOON IS THE LUNAR REGOLITH ITSELF. IT CAN BE HARVESTED AND ELECTROLYZED ANYWHERE ON THE SURFACE AND THE REGOLITH IS ALMOST 40% OXYGEN BY MASS. ARTEMIS AND FUTURE IN-SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ISRU) MISSIONS WILL LIKELY PERFORM TESTS ON SUCH ELECTROLYSIS SYSTEMS$691,345
· FY2022 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
VENUS SURFACE CONDITIONS ARE EXCEPTIONALLY CHALLENGING FOR THE USE OF SURFACE PLATFORMS DUE TO THE 460 C 91 ATMOSPHERE CAUSTIC VENUS SURFACE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THUS THE HOTTECH II GOAL IS TO DEVELOP AND MATURE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL ENABLE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE OR REDUCE TECHNICAL RISK FOR IN-SITU MISSIONS TO HIGH-TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS WITH TEMPERATURES OF 500 DEGREES CELSIUS OR HIGHER FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 60 DAYS . SUCH MISSIONS MUST BE TAILORED FOR OPERATION IN THE VENUS SURFACE ENVIRONMENT AND INCLUDE TECHNOLOGIES VIABLE FOR OPERATION IN SUCH CONDITIONS. FOR EXAMPLE THE MOST VIABLE PROPOSED MISSION FOR LONG-LIVED 60-DAY VENUS SURFACE OPERATIONS IS THE LONG LIVED IN SITU SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORER (LLISSE) INCLUDING E.G. METEOROLOGY AND CHEMICAL SPECIES MEASUREMENTS BASED IN PART ON ADVANCES IN SILICON CARBIDE (SIC) ELECTRONICS. FURTHER LLISSE IS A LANDER PLATFORM FROM WHICH A RANGE OF MISSIONS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED UPON THE INTRODUCTION OF APPROPRIATE SCIENCE ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY AND CAPABILITIES E.G. A VENUS DURABLE SEISMOMETER. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES CAN ALSO PROVIDE INCREASED CAPABILITIES AND IMPROVED SCIENCE TO SUCH A PLATFORM. HONEYBEE ROBOTICS NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER AND OAI PROPOSE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION OF A VENUS DURABLE ACTUATOR AND ELECTRONICS SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR LANDER PLATFORMS SUCH AS LLISSE. THIS IS A SMALLER ACTUATOR SYSTEM SCALED TO PROVIDE FUNCTIONALITIES SUCH AS DEPLOYMENT OF A SEISMOMETER WINDMILL POWER GENERATION A ROBOTIC ARM FOR SAMPLE EXAMINATION OR A POSITIONING MOTOR SYSTEM. IN PARTICULAR AS AN EXAMPLE APPLICATION THIS ACTUATOR SYSTEM TARGETS COMPATIBILITY WITH THE VENUS IN- SITU SURFACE SYSTEM IMAGER (VISSI) UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN PICASSO. VISSI IS OAI LED AND MODELED AFTER THE IMAGING SYSTEM OF THE VIKING MARS LANDER CAMERAS WITH A LOW-BANDWIDTH LINEAR ARRAY SCANNING PLATFORM CAPABLE OF GRADUALLY BUILDING UP A HIGH-RESOLUTION PANORAMA OF A LANDING SITE FOR EXTENDED DURATIONS ON THE VENUS SURFACE. THE EMPHASIS OF VISSI IS ON SIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS OPTICAL DETECTORS AND COMPONENTS WITH LIMITED DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACTUATOR SYSTEM THIS PROPOSAL PROVIDES SUCH AN ACTUATION SYSTEM WITH AN APPROACH AND MATERIAL SELECTION APPROPRIATE FOR 60 DAYS OF VENUS SURFACE OPERATIONS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS ACTUATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT WE WILL LEVERAGE SIGNIFICANT HIGH-TEMPERATURE HARSH ENVIRONMENT EXPERTISE IN DESIGNING AND FABRICATING SIC BASED ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS THAT ARE ABLE TO FUNCTION STABLY IN THE UNCOOLED AMBIENT VENUS SURFACE ENVIRONMENT. THE CORE ELECTRONICS HAVE ALREADY SHOWN DURABLE OPERATION IN SIMULATED VENUS SURFACE CONDITIONS FOR 60 DAYS WITH A RANGE OF SIGNAL CONDITIONING DATA PROCESSING POWER MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION CIRCUITS IN DEVELOPMENT. RELATED TO THIS ACTUATOR SYSTEM IN HOTTECH II WE WILL LEVERAGE ON-GOING DEVELOPMENT OF A SIMPLE SIC BASED MICROPROCESSOR AND BIPOLAR JUNCTION TRANSISTORS FOR POWER APPLICATIONS TO PROVIDE A CONTROL CAPABILITY FOR THE VENUS ACTUATOR SYSTEM. THE COMBINATION OF ACTUATION AND SIC ELECTRONICS WILL BE USED TO DEMONSTRATE THE CAPABILITY TO PERFORM RASTERING OF A PHOTODIODE ARRAY STRUCTURE IN THE PATTERN OF THE VIKING MARS LANDER CAMERAS IN SIMULATED VENUS SURFACE CONDITIONS FOR 60 DAYS. THIS PROPOSAL IS RESPONSIVE MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF THE HOTTECH II CALL INCLUDING ACTUATORS/MOTORS IMAGING CAMERAS LOW-POWER ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS AND TO A LESSER DEGREE POWER TRANSISTORS. THIS PROPOSAL COMBINES LEADERS IN VENUS RELEVANT TECHNOLOGIES TO PRODUCE A NEW ENABLING CAPABILITY: LONG TERM VENUS DURABLE ACTUATION WITH ELECTRONIC CONTROL SUITABLE FOR SMALLER LANDER PLATFORMS SUCH AS LLISSE. THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL BE TARGETED TOWARDS IMAGING APPLICATIONS DURING THE HOTTECH II PROJECT BUT IS APPLICABLE TO A RANGE OF OTHER APPLICATIONS AND FUNCTIONALITIES IN NEED OF BASIC ACTUATION. THUS THIS PROPOSAL HAS BROAD SCIENCE IMPACT ACROSS A RANGE OF MISSION SCENARIOS FOR LONG LIVED VENUS SURFACE APPLICATIONS.$680,146
· FY2022 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NEAR EARTH ASTEROIDS (NEAS) HAVE HIGH POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCIALIZATION IN CISLUNAR SPACE DUE TO THEIR LOW DELTA V AND ABUNDANCE OF VARIOUS MATERIALS. HOWEVER RISK IN POTENTIAL NEA HARVESTING MISSIONS IS HIGH DUE TO POOR KNOWLEDGE OF SURFACE BEHAVIOR$597,794
· FY2021 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
THIS IS HONEYBEE ROBOTIC S GRANT PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE FIDELITY OF LUNAR TESTING FOR SAMPLE COLLECTION BY WORKING WITH MASTEN SPACE SYSTEMS TO MIMIC THE PLUME EFFECTS EXPECTED TO BE SEEN WHILST LANDING ON THE MOON. HONEYBEE PROPOSES TO:>USE EXISTING PLANETVAC HARDWARE ENABLING DIRECT COMPARISON TO PRIOR TESTING>SET UP FLIGHT IN SIMILAR MANNER AS LAST TEST BUT WITHOUT THE PLUME DEFLECTOR>DEVELOP TEST METHODOLOGY FOR REGOLITH SAMPLE BIN TO CAPTURE MORE REALISTIC LANDING CONDITIONS WITH PLUME INTERACTIONS.$500,000
· FY2020 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
PLANETVAC-XOMBIE2: HONEYBEE PLANETVAC ON THE MASTEN LUNAR LANDER$499,257
· FY2020 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
WE WILL PERFORM THE FOLLOWING TASKS: 1. KICKOFF MEETING TO REVIEW INITIAL REQUIREMENTS A. MEETING WITH NASA TO DISCUSS ELM AND MICA SAMPLE ACCOMMODATION B. CAPTURE SAMPLE ACCOMMODATION IN REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENTS (TWO) FOR ELM AND MICA. THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE CHANGED AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH EUROPA LANDER AND CADMES TEAMS. HIGHLIGHT SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ELM AND MICA. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF SAMPLE HANDLING CONCEPTS FOR MICA AND ELM A. BRAINSTORM AND CAPTURED VARIOUS ARCHITECTURES FOR SAMPLE HANDLING FOR ELM AND MICA B. HIGHLIGHT ARCHITECTURES THAT COULD BE COMMON TO ELM AND MICA C. TRADE THE ARCHITECTURES AND DOWNSELECT TO 1-2 FOR BREADBOARDING 3. BREADBOARDING OF SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEMS FOR ELM AND MICA A. DESIGN AND FABRICATE PROMISING OPTIONS B. TEST THE BREADBOARD IN VACUUM CHAMBER WITH RELEVANT MATERIALS. 4. BRASSBOARD SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEMS FOR ELM AND MICA A. UPDATE SAMPLE HANDLING DESIGN BASED ON TEST DATA 5. INTEGRATION OF SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEMS WITH ELM AND MICA A. SHIP THE SYSTEM TO AMES FOR INTEGRATION B. PROVIDE NEEDED TEST SUPPORT 6. MEETINGS AND REPORTING A. PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS AND TELECONS B. PROVIDE QUARTERLY REPORTS AND INPUT TO FINAL REPORTS$369,967
· FY2020 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
21-PPR21-0008.DEVELOPMENT OF IN-FLIGHT AND IN-SITU MICROBIAL STERILIZATION SYSTEM USING UV LEDS AND HEATERS TO PREVENT RECONTAMINATION AND CROSS-CONTAMINATION$368,737
· FY2022 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
SURFACE EXPLORATION OF OCEAN WORLDS PRESENTS NOVEL AND UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES FOR ROBOTIC LANDERS. SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED MISSIONS TO WORLDS SUCH AS EUROPA ENCELADUS AND TITAN CREATE A NEED FOR A HIGHER DEGREE OF AUTONOMY THAN THAT REQUIRED$213,554
· FY2020 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
GEOCHRONOLOGY OR DETERMINATION OF ABSOLUTE AGES FOR GEOLOGIC EVENTS UNDERPINS MANY INQUIRIES INTO THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF PLANETS AND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. THE BOMBARDMENT CHRONOLOGY INFERRED FROM LUNAR SAMPLES HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN T$1,500
· FY2020 · National Aeronautics and Space Administration