In response to the need for actuators, particularly, gear heads, that can operate in the harsh Venusian environment for extended periods of time, on the order of several days to weeks, Honeybee Robotics proposes to develop and demonstrate an extreme temperature compatible gear head. The proposed effort will consider the novel design of gear bearings, which is capable of handling wide range speeds and loads requirements, but will also incorporate standard bearings as a means of constraining relative axial motions of the gears. The high gear reductions possible within a single stage, coupled with the already compact size make this innovation ideal for spaceflight hardware where size and weight are at a premium, specifically to the extreme conditions of Venus. During Phase I, a first-generation prototype gear head will be designed, built, and tested in Venus-like conditions (486oC temperature and mostly CO2 gas environment). Phase I testing will verify the feasibility of the design and confirm that the gear head can operate at 486oC for an extended period of time. In a potential Phase II effort, an extreme environment compatible gear head will be developed to TRL 6. Fully developed and optimized versions of this gear head, when integrated with the offeror's high temperature motors, could be used to actuate drills, robotic arms, and other devices outside of an environment-controlled landed platform on the surface of Venus.
