Space Mining and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)
Honeybee Robotics Exploration Systems (EX) continues to define the state of the art. Our mining systems, drills, geotechnical systems and downhole instruments are advancing the nascent space mining / in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) industries like no other.
Honeybee personnel are world-class experts in robotics, software, systems engineering and soil mechanics, deploying cutting-edge innovations in creating planetary mining systems that are both tool and instrument. Working with global space agencies as well as private-sector visionaries, we are the pioneers that will be the first (robotic) boots on the ground.
You can find our technology on the Mars Phoenix lander, Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, Mars Curiosity rover, and Mars Perseverance rover. Keep an eye to future missions such as VIPER and CLPS which will carry Honeybee systems to the Moons and beyond.
Domain Expertise
Advancing Human Exploration
Honeybee Robotics has been at the forefront of interplanetary exploration since its inception in 1983 and is a NASA-preferred, AS9100C certified supplier for global space missions. Our extensive experience in adaptable sampling and drilling technologies coupled with an unparalleled ability to deliver has enabled us to lead ISRU efforts on Mars (RAT, ISAD, SMS, DRT) and is a driving force behind our success in securing future mission contracts. Honeybee is poised to be the robotic supplier of choice for the burgeoning in-situ industry. Deep drills, nano drills, scoops, samplers, pneumatic systems…we are the forefront of it all.
Our testing facilities are renowned, equipped with unique environmental simulation chambers able to subject our equipment to realistic, harsh conditions, and our drills have seen the most extreme environments on Earth (Antarctic Dry Valleys, the Arctic, Greenland, Atacama Desert, and more). We have in-house scientific expertise in geomechanics, geotechnics, and geophysics, and have authored over 300 publications related to extraterrestrial drilling and space mining, including several books. Long-term relationships with expert consultants in select specialties and our network of trusted suppliers and fabrication service providers ensures that we get the information and parts we need, when we need them.
Current ISRU projects include shallow and deep sampling/coring drills, sampling mechanisms, pneumatic sample collection and transfer, and volatile extractor systems for NASA and NASA-JPL.
If your business has a challenge that can’t be addressed with existing technologies, contact us today for a consultation.