An item to write on a surface of a celestial body that has less atmosphere than Earth is received at a communications station and from a user device. An instruction that triggers the robot to write the item on the surface of the celestial body is provided by the communications station and to a robot on the surface of the celestial body. An image of the item written on the surface of the celestial body is received by the communications station and from the robot. The image of the item written on the surface of the celestial body is provided by the communications station and to the user device.

An item to write on a surface of a celestial body that has less atmosphere than Earth is received at a communications station and from a user device. An instruction that triggers the robot to write the item on the surface of the celestial body is provided by the communications station and to a robot on the surface of the celestial body. An image of the item written on the surface of the celestial body is received by the communications station and from the robot. The image of the item written on the surface of the celestial body is provided by the communications station and to the user device.

A combination two vehicle system is provided that includes a land-based vehicle configured for traversal over ground and an aerial vehicle configured for travel through air, where the aerial vehicle is configured to detachably couple with the land-based vehicle. The aerial vehicle includes stabilizing legs to provide stability for take-off or landing. A method of operating the vehicle system includes steps of: providing the land-based and the aerial vehicle having the stabilizing legs, and aerially transporting the vehicle system including the land-based vehicle and the aerial vehicle, where the stabilizing legs provide stability for take-off or landing. In addition, the land-based vehicle may transport a removable cargo pod, which the aerial vehicle may independently retrieve from the land-based vehicle.

A combination two vehicle system is provided that includes a land-based vehicle configured for traversal over ground and an aerial vehicle configured for travel through air, where the aerial vehicle is configured to detachably couple with the land-based vehicle. The aerial vehicle includes stabilizing legs to provide stability for take-off or landing. A method of operating the vehicle system includes steps of: providing the land-based and the aerial vehicle having the stabilizing legs, and aerially transporting the vehicle system including the land-based vehicle and the aerial vehicle, where the stabilizing legs provide stability for take-off or landing. In addition, the land-based vehicle may transport a removable cargo pod, which the aerial vehicle may independently retrieve from the land-based vehicle.

A system for use on a planetary surface includes ridges arranged parallel to each other. The ridges support a weight of an extraterrestrial vehicle rolling over the ridges. The system also includes a base to maintain a relative position of the ridges to each other and a controller to control one or more of the ridges to vibrate.

A vehicle comprising a structure, a plurality of heating sources, and a transport mechanism. The structure is comprised of multiple materials, a composite such that some of the material constituents can be extracted leaving behind others via application of energy (such as de-alloying). The extracted material or materials are configured to be re-purposed into a propellant. The plurality of heating elements surrounds or is embedded within the structure configured to convert the material into the propellant. The transport mechanism is configured to transport the propellant from the structure to a reservoir or to the propulsion system.

A thermal management system adapted to vent a two-phase working fluid into an environment having a higher pressure than a vapor pressure of a working fluid corresponding to a set point of the system including a secondary vessel containing a secondary species. The system includes a primary vessel containing the working fluid and the secondary species, and at least one valve to selectively control venting of a mixture of the working fluid and the secondary species from the primary vessel to the environment. The system includes at least one valve connected between the primary vessel and the secondary vessel to selectively control charging of the secondary species into the primary vessel.

A lunar excavation and projectile transport system includes a projectile launcher having a base and a throwing arm and a projectile catcher. The throwing arm is rotatably coupled to the base and arranged at a mounting angle relative to a central axis defined by the base. The mounting angle defines a lunch angle for a processed core sample that is launched from within the throwing arm during rotation of the throwing arm by an electric motor. The projectile catcher includes a storage body, a plurality of telescoping arms coupled to the storage body, and a fabric wrapped around each of the plurality of telescoping arms to define a catching volume within which the processed core sample launched by the projectile launcher is caught.

A lunar excavation and projectile transport system includes a projectile launcher having a base and a throwing arm and a projectile catcher. The throwing arm is rotatably coupled to the base and arranged at a mounting angle relative to a central axis defined by the base. The mounting angle defines a lunch angle for a processed core sample that is launched from within the throwing arm during rotation of the throwing arm by an electric motor. The projectile catcher includes a storage body, a plurality of telescoping arms coupled to the storage body, and a fabric wrapped around each of the plurality of telescoping arms to define a catching volume within which the processed core sample launched by the projectile launcher is caught.

A suspending release device for observing a drop vibration attitude change of a lander and a test method are provided. The device includes a bench system, a lifting system fixed to the bench system, a horizontal frame system, an attitude control system, and a suspending release system hinged to the attitude control system. The horizontal frame system may slide vertically on the bench system and may drive the attitude control system to slide horizontally. A test lander is fixed to a release sliding block. The release sliding block is locked with a main load bearing block. An attitude of the test lander when releasing is adjusted. The horizontal frame system is lifted to a predetermined height. Guide rods are indirectly driven to release the sliding block by a motor. The whole lander falls freely and touches the ground to collide, and the process is recorded by a high-speed camera.