WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin announced it has completed critical testing of a prototype lunar solar array, demonstrating the technology’s potential to operate in the harsh environment of the Moon’s south pole.

The company developed one of three models funded by NASA through approximately 20 million dollars in contracts awarded in 2022 to Blue Origin’s Lockheed Martin, Honeybee Robotics and Astrobotic as part of the agency’s broader efforts to establish a lasting presence on the Moon. Under a program known as Lunar Vertical Solar Array Technology (LVSAT), the three companies developed vertical solar panels designed to be deployable, relocatable and self-leveling, capable of extending and retracting autonomously to maximize exposure to the sun.

Unlike traditional horizontal solar panels, these vertical panels can extend up to 20 meters high, allowing them to capture sunlight above terrain shadows, including craters and rocks that may obstruct horizontal systems.

“If we are serious about sustainable lunar exploration, then we need to get serious about infrastructure,” said Christie Iacomini, LVSAT program manager at Lockheed Martin.

The company’s prototype was integrated into its Waterton, Colorado, facility. Iacomini said the network had conducted deployment tests, regolith simulation evaluations and extreme cold soak tests at temperatures as low as -230°C, simulating lunar night conditions.

Energy is the keystone of all other lunar infrastructure, from communications and transportation to habitat construction, said Rob Chambers, director of human and scientific space exploration strategy at Lockheed Martin.

At a news conference this month, Chambers said NASA “has done a great job setting goals and objectives, but it’s up to industry to implement it,” Chambers said . “We need to start discussions about implementation.”

LVSAT networks, he said, would be part of a lunar infrastructure strategy that Lockheed Martin proposedwhich includes exploitation of lunar ice resources and exploration of nuclear fission for continuous electricity production during the 14-day lunar night when solar energy is not available.

The next steps remain to be decided

For now, the future of LVSAT depends on NASA’s next steps. An agency spokesperson confirmed that the program’s three models are close to complete the testswith final reports expected in early 2025. NASA does not view the LVSAT program as a competitive selection process. If the agency moves forward with a demonstration of lunar technology, it would issue a new solicitation, potentially laying the groundwork for an operational deployment.

NASA’s Artemis program aims to leverage the commercial sector to establish a long-term presence on the Moon as a springboard to Mars. Still, analysts warn that lunar commercial activity remains an ambitious goal,

Sustainable lunar operations will require robust systems for power, communications, radiation protection, navigation, and regolith dust mitigation, all areas of the lunar economy that remain highly dependent on government funding and objectives.

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