VELOS

Goal: VELOS, short for Variable Exploratory Lunar Observation System, is a specially designed launcher and probe system created by a team of Arizona State University students from the Luminosity Lab. The group is one of eight university teams that NASA named as finalists last spring in its Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge. The VELOS system is designed to efficiently explore the moon’s permanently shadowed regions, as they are difficult to study, but could have vital impact on the future of space travel.

Partners: Luminosity Lab

Interplanetary Laboratory key contributions: During the Fall of 2020, the Interplanetary Laboratory employed their newly commissioned TVAC chamber to test a prototype lunar surface probe being developed by Luminosity Lab, a fellow ASU lab. The testing required cryogenic and vacuum conditions as well as launching and landing of the probe. The Interplanetary Laboratory testing allowed Luminosity to demonstrate that their probe will turn on and transmit in extreme environments. Watch video to learn more.