An apparatus and method of wirelessly powering an aerospace vehicle while the vehicle is on the ground is provided to solve a problem of supplying electric power for aircraft while idling on taxiways. Present systems typically require fuel-driven auxiliary power units (APU's) to generate electricity. Running APU's to power aircraft while idling requires over 443 million gallons of jet fuel annually at a cost of $1.3 billion dollars. This results in an estimated 4.7 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. At the gate, shore power is provided via hardline connection.

A failure prediction and notification system for a work surface that has a raised contour includes a perception sensor mounted on a machine and a controller. The controller determines an initial physical characteristic of the initial topography of the work surface adjacent the raised contour, generates an electronic map of a current topography of the work surface based at least partially on the raw data points, and determines a current physical characteristic of the current topography. The controller further determines a difference between the current physical characteristic and the initial physical characteristic, compares the difference to a characteristic difference threshold, and generates an alert upon the difference exceeding the characteristic difference threshold.

A failure prediction and notification system for a work surface that has a raised contour includes a perception sensor mounted on a machine and a controller. The controller determines an initial physical characteristic of the initial topography of the work surface adjacent the raised contour, generates an electronic map of a current topography of the work surface based at least partially on the raw data points, and determines a current physical characteristic of the current topography. The controller further determines a difference between the current physical characteristic and the initial physical characteristic, compares the difference to a characteristic difference threshold, and generates an alert upon the difference exceeding the characteristic difference threshold.

A vapor collection system that can be used at an extra-terrestrial body is envisioned to collect target gaseous atoms and molecules that are floating around in a shielded environment at a pressure at or less than 1?10.sup.?5 bar. The shielded environment is defined within a cover that rests atop granular soil, which in one embodiment is regolith. The cover comprises a cover body that extends from a rim to a cover top. The shielded environment is not in communication with an outside environment via the cover body. The mining arrangement further comprises a blade. a heat source and a gas collection surface. The blade extends from the rim and is configured to penetrate the granular soil. The heat source, which is disposed in the cover is configured to heat the granular soil. The gas collection surface is disposed in the shielded environment and is configured to maintain a temperature below 100 degrees Kelvin.

A vapor collection system that can be used at an extra-terrestrial body is envisioned to collect target gaseous atoms and molecules that are floating around in a shielded environment at a pressure at or less than 1?10.sup.?5 bar. The shielded environment is defined within a cover that rests atop granular soil, which in one embodiment is regolith. The cover comprises a cover body that extends from a rim to a cover top. The shielded environment is not in communication with an outside environment via the cover body. The mining arrangement further comprises a blade. a heat source and a gas collection surface. The blade extends from the rim and is configured to penetrate the granular soil. The heat source, which is disposed in the cover is configured to heat the granular soil. The gas collection surface is disposed in the shielded environment and is configured to maintain a temperature below 100 degrees Kelvin.

Disclosed is a He-3 detector arrangement that generally comprises a neutron shield interposed between a thermal neutron source and thermal neutron detectors all resting on a metal platform. In operation, thermal neutrons from the thermal neutron source are emitted when the He-3 detector arrangement is on or near the ground. Some of the thermal neutrons from the neutron source backscatter from the regolith to the neutron detector where a baseline count level is registered. When He-3 is present in the regolith, some of the thermal neutrons are absorbed by the He-3, which reduces the detected count rate. When integrated with a rover, the He-3 detector is moved from place to place with the count rates at each location compared. In this manner, higher and lower levels of He-3 in the regolith can be mapped indicating target regions for mining the He-3.

Disclosed is a He-3 detector arrangement that generally comprises a neutron shield interposed between a thermal neutron source and thermal neutron detectors all resting on a metal platform. In operation, thermal neutrons from the thermal neutron source are emitted when the He-3 detector arrangement is on or near the ground. Some of the thermal neutrons from the neutron source backscatter from the regolith to the neutron detector where a baseline count level is registered. When He-3 is present in the regolith, some of the thermal neutrons are absorbed by the He-3, which reduces the detected count rate. When integrated with a rover, the He-3 detector is moved from place to place with the count rates at each location compared. In this manner, higher and lower levels of He-3 in the regolith can be mapped indicating target regions for mining the He-3.

A pair of interconnected vertical solar arrays at two preselected lunar sites are provided. A cable transmits power between one of the vertical solar arrays and the other vertical solar array, so that one of the vertical solar arrays can send collected energy to other vertical solar array, when the other vertical solar array is not collecting energy, to maintain the temperature of the other vertical solar array. A power storage device receives solar energy from the vertical solar arrays. A charging interface distributes energy to one or more lunar devices on the lunar surface. A landing vehicle has a payload thereon for carrying at least one of the pair of interconnected vertical solar arrays, the cable, the power storage device, and the charging interface.

A pair of interconnected vertical solar arrays at two preselected lunar sites are provided. A cable transmits power between one of the vertical solar arrays and the other vertical solar array, so that one of the vertical solar arrays can send collected energy to other vertical solar array, when the other vertical solar array is not collecting energy, to maintain the temperature of the other vertical solar array. A power storage device receives solar energy from the vertical solar arrays. A charging interface distributes energy to one or more lunar devices on the lunar surface. A landing vehicle has a payload thereon for carrying at least one of the pair of interconnected vertical solar arrays, the cable, the power storage device, and the charging interface.

A vehicle locking assembly is disclosed, which couples a vehicle to a support member, for example using a frangible bolt and an actuator. When actuated, the actuator causes the frangible bolt to fail, thereby decoupling the vehicle from the support member. Ground-engaging members of the vehicle include terrain interaction features along an outer portion, thereby forming a portion of the ground-engaging member where the terrain interaction features (or, as another example, lack thereof) form a contact region that is radially closer to the center of the ground-engaging member as compared to the contact region(s) corresponding to other terrain interaction features. Accordingly, once the fastener is released, the ground-engaging members of the vehicle are actuated, such that the terrain interaction features engage with the plate/surface beneath the vehicle as the radially closer contact region rotates out from under the vehicle, thereby raising the vehicle off the support member.