BROOKLYN, New York: In a significant step for space technology, Yank Technologies, a Brooklyn-based pioneer in wireless power solutions, has been awarded a prestigious two-year Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by NASA. This contract aims to further develop the company’s groundbreaking Dust-Tolerant Resonant Inductive Connectors, designed specifically for the harsh lunar and Martian environments.
Traditional electrical connectors face severe challenges on the Moon and Mars due to pervasive dust, abrasive regolith, and extreme environmental conditions. These factors cause unreliable connections and physical degradation over time, jeopardizing mission-critical power systems. Yank Technologies’ Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors address these issues with a novel design: fully insulated, interlocking coils with no exposed conductive terminals. This ensures robust, efficient wireless power transmission even in the dustiest, most hostile extraterrestrial settings.
The connectors leverage resonant inductive coupling, enabling high power transfer without direct physical contact. This design dramatically reduces wear and tear, eliminates contamination risks, and enhances reliability—key attributes for sustaining long-term habitats and robotic systems on the Moon and Mars.
Yank Technologies has already delivered initial versions of these connectors to NASA and is now set to optimize them for future missions. The Phase II contract focuses on refining the connectors’ size, weight, and power handling capabilities to support kilowatt-level applications. Crucially, the connectors will be tested with actual lunar and planetary regolith simulants to ensure performance in realistic conditions before integration into upcoming NASA landers and surface systems.
Josh Yank, CEO of Yank Technologies, emphasized the strategic importance of this development, “With this follow-on NASA Phase II contract, we will prepare Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for a variety of power interfacing solutions for NASA to establish long-lasting habitats on the Moon and Mars.” This aligns with NASA’s broader Artemis program goals to build sustainable human presence on the Moon and prepare for eventual crewed missions to Mars.
Beyond space, Yank Technologies is a leader in customizable wireless power solutions spanning industrial, automotive, and consumer sectors. With 18 patents granted and approximately 50 pending, the company’s innovations eliminate unreliable wired connections, boosting durability and operational efficiency. Their industrial applications include wireless charging of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) in factories to reduce downtime and real-time wireless powering of quality control systems. In automotive, their technology enables new vehicle interior features by removing complex wire harnesses, facilitating seamless door removal and cockpit reconfiguration. Consumer products benefit from wireless charging integrated into everyday environments like cupholders and tabletops.
This extensive expertise in resonant inductive wireless power uniquely positions Yank Technologies to tackle the demanding requirements of space power transmission, where reliability and durability are paramount.
The timing of Yank Technologies’ contract coincides with a robust funding environment for NASA’s lunar and Martian exploration. For fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Congress allocated $7.8 billion to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon, including the first woman and first person of color, and to lay groundwork for Mars exploration. Artemis missions II through XII are planned between 2025 and 2030, focusing on establishing sustainable lunar habitats and testing technologies critical for Mars missions slated for the mid-2030s.
NASA’s Artemis program serves as a proving ground for technologies like Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors, which will be essential for powering habitats, rovers, and scientific instruments in the dusty, extreme environments of the Moon and Mars. The connectors’ ability to withstand abrasive lunar and Martian regolith while maintaining efficient power transfer will enable autonomous operations and reduce maintenance challenges.
Yank Technologies’ partnership with NASA highlights the critical role of innovative small businesses in advancing space exploration technologies. By addressing fundamental challenges in power transmission on extraterrestrial surfaces, their Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors will help enable the next era of human and robotic presence beyond Earth.
As NASA pushes forward with Artemis and prepares for Mars missions, technologies like those from Yank Technologies will be instrumental in powering the habitats, vehicles, and instruments that will sustain life and science on other worlds.
This development marks a milestone in space technology, combining cutting-edge wireless power innovation with NASA’s ambitious exploration goals to overcome the unique challenges posed by lunar and Martian dust environments.
