SoftServe Joins International Team to develop NASA-funded Lunar Landing and Launch Pad Technologies

AUSTIN, Texas (Dec. 22, 2023) – SoftServe, a premier IT consulting and digital services provider, today announced plans of joining an international coalition on a NASA-funded project to develop lunar technologies. The project comes after San Antonio-based Astroport Space Technologies won a NASA STTR 2023 Phase II funding award to advance development of extreme environment landing pad technologies and enable safer lunar landings.

Led by award recipient Astroport, SoftServe’s robotics & advanced automation team will work alongside a consortium of global partners to collectively drive construction efforts on the Moon. Participating team members are tasked with simulating robotic systems for live construction, mechanical interaction, and free movement on the moon’s surface.

“Our role – and mission – is to build models for the terra-mechanical interaction between equipment, construction machinery, and regolith,” said Lyubomyr Demkiv, SoftServe’s Robotics Practice Leader. “Specifically, our specialists will be creating and executing many digital simulations of the construction process on the Moon, while considering the features and soil properties across various lunar situations. This work will enable us to explore possible synergies between machines, devices on site, and optimal transportation concepts that could transform lunar development.”

The project is slated to begin January 2024. NASA's Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is an annual grant funding research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that support needs outlined by NASA.

To learn more about SoftServe’s Robotics & Advanced Automation group and service offerings, please visit this webpage.