- Redwire Corporation's lunar and Martian manufacturing technology, Mason, passes Critical Design Review with NASA.
- Mason aims to convert lunar or Martian regolith into solid materials for infrastructure construction.
- Project part of a $12.9 million award under NASA's Tipping Point agreement.
Redwire Corporation (RDW, Financial), a prominent entity in space infrastructure, has secured approval from NASA to proceed with its advanced manufacturing technology known as Mason. This technology is pivotal for building essential infrastructures like berms, landing pads, and roads on the Moon and Mars. Completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) marks a significant milestone in this $12.9 million project managed under NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Tipping Point agreement.
Mason is engineered to be adaptable across various platforms, including landers, rovers, or robotic arms, enabling the transformation of lunar or Martian regolith into solid, concrete-like materials. The technology suite comprises three specialized tools: BASE (Blade for Autonomously Surfacing Environments), PACT (Planetary Automated Compaction Tool), and M3LT (Microwave Melter of Martian and Lunar Terrain), addressing challenges such as equipment failure and astronaut health risks due to dust on lunar and Martian surfaces.
With the successful CDR completion, Redwire is set to construct the Mason critical design prototype for functional testing. The company is currently investigating flight opportunities for a demonstration mission. In collaboration with the NASA Kennedy Space Center Swamp Works, Lambda Technologies, the Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Central Florida, Redwire is steering Mason towards facilitating sustainable operations on extraterrestrial surfaces.
Redwire Corporation (RDW, Financial) continues to expand its capabilities in the space sector, leveraging its extensive experience and innovative culture to support civil, commercial, and national security programs worldwide.
