Lunar Wireless Charger System Qualified for Flight
Flight Model Acceptance Testing Completed by Astrobotic
Flight model acceptance testing of the Astrobotic wireless charging system for the lunar environment has been completed, marking a major advancement in enabling sustained operations on the Moon. This technology is designed to deliver reliable, high-efficiency power transfer in the extreme conditions of the lunar surface, bringing Astrobotic closer to providing commercial power solutions for future lunar missions.
“This is the foundation for a unified, interoperable power standard for the Moon and Mars.”
John Thornton, Astrobotic
Developed by Astrobotic and WiBotic, with assistance from Bosch, the University of Washington (UW), and NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, this lightweight, ultra-fast wireless charging system proved it can function and provide enough power for systems to survive the 14-Earth-day lunar night.
“This is the foundation for a unified, interoperable power standard for the Moon and Mars,” said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. “We’re offering a wireless charging solution that can support cross-agency, cross-industry missions, built to survive the harshest planetary environments. If your assets need dependable power on the surface, this is the plug they’ll need.”
When on the lunar surface, the wireless system would deliver power from an Astrobotic lunar lander or Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) platform to power science missions and rovers to survive the lunar night or even provide easy charging of astronaut-held tools. Power from the source is converted to wireless power by a WiBotic transmitter circuit and is sent to the device by a transmitter antenna coil. A wireless method of power transfer is crucial for automated and astronaut-held systems on the lunar surface, as these devices are connected and disconnected often, subjecting them to abrasive lunar regolith dust that would accumulate on traditional connectors, reducing their efficiency and rendering them non-operable. Under previous tests performed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Astrobotic’s wireless charging system was covered in 4 cm of regolith and experienced no performance degradation to power transfer.
The acceptance testing campaign for the wireless charger flight model included different tests over the course of four months. The first was a thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) test of the system in December 2024 at Astrobotic’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, where the system demonstrated proper functioning in a simulated lunar environment with virtually no atmosphere. This was followed by an even more realistic lunar environmental test performed in January at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, where the system successfully operated within a TVAC chamber containing simulated lunar regolith known as a “dirty TVAC,” dropping to -292 °F.
The final two tests, both performed at Astrobotic’s headquarters, ensured that the system would survive the rigors of launch to space. In late January, the system endured vibration testing, which involved mounting it to a shaker table and subjecting it to the vibrations it would experience during launch. Finally, electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing was performed to ensure that the wireless charger’s electronics would not interfere with those of the rocket.
“Passing acceptance testing is a major milestone — it means the system has met all the rigorous performance and environmental requirements and is now officially flight qualified,” says Masoud Arabghahestani, Senior Thermal Engineer at Astrobotic. “This validation marks the culmination of years of design, engineering, and testing, and now, we’re finally ready to take this system to the Moon. With its efficiency and proven reliability, this system will open the door to a broader range of science missions, enabling researchers to explore more regions of the lunar surface, gather higher-quality data, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in lunar exploration.”
Developed under a NASA Tipping Point contract awarded by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, a 125 W wireless charger model is now commercially available for advanced power solutions for space applications. A more powerful 400 W wireless charger model is undergoing further testing and has seen power transfer efficiencies as high as 85%.
“Astrobotic’s goal is to make space accessible to the world,” says CEO John Thornton, “and this system will enable longer duration and more power-intensive missions in the future, greatly expanding our access to the Moon. Astrobotic is proud to be at the forefront of lunar surface power providers.”