Voyager Space, one of the global leaders in space exploration, announced the company has been awarded a Collaborative Announcement Notice (CAN) by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for the joint development of an airlock for the Mars Transit Vehicle, also referred to as Deep Space Transport. This cost-sharing cooperative agreement with NASA is intended to complement the technology development interests of MSFC while also supporting the advancement of Voyager’s technology and critical infrastructure capabilities.
This 12-month study, which will begin this month, will utilize resources from both Voyager and the Habitation team at MSFC to evaluate the extensibility of Voyager’s Bishop Airlock design to the Mars Transit Vehicle architecture. Named the “Red Knight,” this new airlock will leverage the flight-proven heritage of the Bishop Airlock to meet the challenges of deep space, provide support to, and enhance the safety of the Mars Transit crew, and unlock unparalleled in situ science opportunities.
“The Voyager Exploration team continues to accomplish great things with the Bishop Airlock and we look forward to exploring how our technology and experience will translate to similar successes with Red Knight,” said Marshall Smith, Chief Technology Officer of Voyager Space. “Through this partnership with NASA, we believe that the possibilities for deep space exploration activities on Mars are endless and we are excited to be a part of history.”
The Bishop Airlock, owned and operated by Voyager, is the first permanent, commercial addition to the International Space Station and offers 5 times the payload volumes of previous airlocks on the Space Station. Bishop, the inspiration for Red Knight, has recently completed numerous on-orbit activities including the successful installation of GITAI’s S2 robotic arm and the relocation of the self-built Gambit payload.
Future airlocks, including Red Knight, will be vital in facilitating the more efficient movement of equipment, internal and external research, satellite and trash deployment, and maintenance aboard space stations and spacecraft to support science and planetary exploration missions, technology demonstrations, and more.
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