The Susquehanna Valley company is working with NASA on the Viper Lunar Mission. Advanced Cooling Technologies, based in Lancaster, has spent the past few years developing the thermal management system for the Viper rover. Brian Muzyka, of Advanced Cooling Technologies, said the thermal management system is necessary because the moon’s temperatures are so extreme. According to NASA, the temperature can reach 250 degrees during the day, then drop to -200 degrees or lower at night. The rover must be able to deliver everything. Jimmy Hughes is the lead engineer on the project. “You have to be able to reject a lot of heat when it’s really warm, but also not reject any heat when it’s really cold.” “So you can keep all your warmth,” Hughes said. Nearly all of the company’s 240 employees have had a role in developing the latest technology. They worked closely with NASA engineers along the way. “The technology and the way they can transfer heat is very impressive. It’s magical to me,” NASA’s Jeff Hagen said. It was shipped to Houston, and NASA would take over from there. “NASA will integrate it into their rover, and the rover will undergo testing for the better part of another year,” Muzyka said. If all goes as planned, the spacecraft will explore the Moon by 2025.
The Susquehanna Valley company is working with NASA on the Viper Lunar Mission. Advanced Cooling Technologies, based in Lancaster, has spent the past few years developing the thermal management system for the Viper rover.
“NASA believes there is water at the south pole of the moon, and they will launch this, and then go on a mission to find out where that water could be,” said Brian Muzyka, of Advanced Cooling Technologies.
A thermal management system is necessary since the Moon’s temperatures are extreme. According to NASA, the temperature can reach 250 degrees during the day, then drop to -200 degrees or lower at night. The rover must be able to deliver everything.
Jimmy Hughes is the lead engineer on the project.
“You have to be able to reject a lot of heat when it’s really warm, but then not reject any heat when it’s really cold so you can keep all the warmth inside,” Hughes said.
Nearly all of the company’s 240 employees had a role in developing the latest technology. They worked closely with NASA engineers along the way.
“The technology and the way they can transfer heat is impressive. It’s magical to me,” NASA’s Jeff Hagen said.
The system will then be shipped to Houston, and NASA will take over from there.
“NASA will integrate it into its rover, and the vehicle will undergo testing for the better part of another year,” Muzyka said.
If all goes as planned, the spacecraft will explore the Moon by 2025.
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