Thanga, Students Using Termite-inspired Structures for Lunar Plans

AME associate professor Jekan Thanga and a team of student researchers are developing smart, robot-built sandbag shelters for NASA astronauts on the moon.

NASA has big plans for its Artemis program – to return Americans to the moon for the first time since 1972 and establish a lunar base for humans by the end of the decade. With NASA funding, a team of University of Arizona engineers is using robot networks to create termite-inspired structures that will help astronauts survive the moon's harsh environment.

Thanga estimates astronauts will first land on the moon as part of Artemis in 2026 or 2027. In a consortium called LUNAR-BRIC, his team is partnering with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech and MDA, a space robotics company, to develop technology for Artemis moon landings.

"It's no accident this team has an academic partner, a commercial partner and a government agency," Thanga said. "Given the challenges, part of the path is for us to collaborate."