Ceralink Inc. of Troy, N.Y., has been awarded a $100,000 SBIR Phase I contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop an automated microwave surface heating system to solidify lunar regolith (soil). Ceralink’s Phase I will demonstrate microwave system feasibility using advanced computer modeling and sophisticated laboratory experimentation with lunar simulant. Lunar regolith is easily disturbed and detrimental to equipment and operations on the moon. Surface stabilization is paramount to future lunar missions.

Ceralink has assembled a team including research partner Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and commercialization partner Gerling Applied Engineering to successfully bring this technology from research to prototype demonstration and ultimately to delivering a fully functioning system. Ceralink is a global leader in the development of microwave-processing technologies.