SPACE TECHNOLOGY
- Next-generation actuators and mechanical systems are essential for exploring the cold and harsh environments of space, such as lunar nights and shadowed regions of icy moons and asteroids.
- Extreme environment mechanisms must withstand vacuum, temperature fluctuations, and abrasive regolith dust.
- Testing at NASA and Amorphology has shown amorphous metal gearboxes perform exceptionally in space, with lifetimes over ten times longer than unlubricated steel gearboxes.
- Avoiding lubrication eliminates the need for integrated heating systems, reducing energy consumption, space, and mass.
“[a] recent example relevant to planetary exploration are bulk metallic glasses that allow for actuator systems that don’t require lubrication and integrated thermal management systems. Implementation of new capabilities would have the potential to lower costs and manufacture times enormously.” [NASA’s 2023 Decadal Survey]
