Yank wins two NASA awards for lunar wireless power systems

(SpaceEnergy) Yank Technologies has received two NASA Phase I contracts to develop kilowatt-class wireless power and conversion systems for robotic equipment operating on the Moon and Mars.

The first Small Business Innovation Research award covers a modular wireless power system for umbilical applications. The contactless system is intended to reduce electrical-connector degradation caused by lunar regolith while maintaining power transfer when transmitters and receivers are imperfectly aligned.

Yank said the system will dynamically accommodate different equipment positions and power levels.

The second award covers a high-power-density kilowatt-class AC-DC converter with real-time self-diagnostics. It is intended to reduce converter mass and volume while monitoring voltage, current and component temperatures for signs of degradation.

Both systems are designed as modular, scalable power technologies for vehicles, payloads and scientific equipment.

The awards represent Yank's seventh and eighth NASA wireless-power contracts. They are separate from its existing NASA work on 6 kW bidirectional dust-tolerant resonant connectors and wireless-power receiver converters.

Chief executive Josh Yank said the new contracts expand the company's NASA work with an emphasis on modularity and scalability for lunar and planetary equipment.

Financial values, contract durations and targeted technology-readiness levels for the two new awards were not disclosed.