In 2022, Moog developed an automated robotic excavator concept for NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge and submitted its technical approach to Phase 2, Level 1; NASA named Moog one of 15 winning teams in December 2022. The system targets icy regolith in permanently shadowed lunar South Pole regions, where temperatures can reach -233 °C (-387 °F).
The concept uses a translating auger to penetrate regolith, lift material into the vehicle, and transport it to a processing site where volatiles can be extracted. Prototype testing used NASA-specified simulated regolith at Moog’s facilities in Elma, New York; solar panels on both excavation vehicles and the processing site would recharge vehicle batteries. The design aims to move thousands of pounds of icy regolith over long distances while minimizing mass and energy consumption.
The Ark team should track NASA’s Break the Ice Challenge outputs, validate excavation and transport performance under -233 °C conditions, and model complete water-to-resource chains from regolith collection through purification and electrolysis. Integration planning should prioritize autonomous operation, redundant power, dust-tolerant mechanisms, thermal survival, navigation in permanent darkness, and stockpile strategies that preserve reserves against equipment failure or interrupted sunlight access.