101: Multiplanetary Innovation Enterprise (MINE)

Background: Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise (MINE) seeks to design, test, and implement robotic technologies for extracting and using local resources, construction, and characterization in extreme environments. MINE works in multidisciplinary groups to develop technology to perform tasks in extreme environments on Earth, the moon, and on other planets. Opportunities include researching productivity and efficiency in the space environment (vacuum, temperature extremes, lunar dust), underground remote operation, and autonomy.

Project Overview: Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise (MINE) is an aerospace robotics team at Michigan Technological University focused on extreme-environment robotics for Earth and lunar applications. MINE provides hands-on experience in robotics, controls, and autonomous systems. Current projects include: Lunabotics Astro-Huskies, a competition team designing a new rover each year for NASA’s Lunabotics competition; Lunar Trencher, a collaboration with MTU’s PSTDL to test a bucket ladder system for lunar environments; DIVER, an underwater ROV for mapping flooded mines for pumped hydro-storage; and LunaRecycle, exploring recycling solutions for NASA’s Artemis Program to enable sustained lunar presence.

Team Leaders:
Kade Nielsen, Mechanical Engineering
Kassidy Vanover, Mechanical Engineering

Advisor: Paulus Van Susante, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Project Sponsor(s): General Motors Foundation (EMI), Michigan Space Grant Consortium, Intelligent Futures Foundation