NASA backs dust tolerant wireless power links for Moon and Mars vehicles

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 20, 2025

Yank Technologies has received a 1 million US dollar NASA Phase III Small Business Innovation Research commercialization contract to advance Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for bi-directional vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer on the Moon and Mars. The award builds on the companys earlier NASA Phase I SBIR work on the same technology.

Under the new contract with NASA, Yank Technologies will work with NASA Glenn Research Center to mature Bi-Directional 6 kW Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors that can transfer up to six kilowatts of power between vehicles on lunar and Martian surfaces. The aim is to give astronauts a repeatable way to charge one vehicle from another in the field.

On the Moon and Mars, regolith and dust storms pose a significant problem for conventional electrical connectors. Exposed conductive terminals can accumulate dust and regolith, sharply limiting cycle life and leading to connector failure after only a small number of uses. Because lunar and Martian regolith is highly insulating, dust-contaminated connectors can block access to power and introduce mission risks. Wireless power transfer has emerged as a candidate to address this issue by removing exposed contact points.

The Bi-Directional 6 kW Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors use interlocking coils that are fully insulated and contain no exposed conductive terminals. According to Yank Technologies, this configuration is designed to operate in extremely dusty and dirty conditions, making the connectors suitable for long-duration surface operations and habitats.

Yank Technologies has carried out several NASA contracts focused on power interfaces for extreme environments, using its wireless power expertise to develop systems intended to be reliable and durable. The company designs customizable wireless power solutions for industrial, automotive, consumer, and space applications. Its portfolio includes twenty granted patents and about fifty pending patents related to resonant inductive technology and associated hardware.

Beyond space applications, the company deploys wireless power products in industrial settings. Its systems are used to charge autonomous mobile robots while they are moving through factories to limit downtime, and to wirelessly power and link quality control test functions in real time.

For NASA, the Bi-Directional 6 kW Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors are expected to provide astronauts with a robust electrical interface to power multiple types of vehicles and extend surface mission durations on both the Moon and Mars. In 2026, NASA Glenn Research Center and NASA Johnson Space Center plan to test and verify the system using lunar and Martian regolith simulants as part of evaluation and potential infusion into upcoming missions.

"This NASA Phase III contract significantly accelerates Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for astronauts to reliably and consistently power their vehicles for future Moon and Mars missions. This development further emphasizes NASA's commitment and growing trust to address major power interfacing challenges with wireless charging to establish long-lasting habitats on the Moon and Mars," said Josh Yank, CEO of Yank Technologies.