Background For many years, the goal of efficient electricity generation at small scales with hydrocarbon fuels has been impractical due to heat loss and other challenges. Current approaches to electricity generation at small scales involve the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels to drive generators, which can be useful for remote or off-grid applications,...

Background Thermal and electrical isolation are key considerations in many extraterrestrial exploration systems. In high vacuum or low atmospheric density environments, maintaining thermal isolation can be challenging. Minimizing thermal and electrical conductivity of structural members in space applications is challenging as most structural components...

There are many obstacles in the way of exploring challenging environments (e.g., the lunar surface's permanently shadowed regions (PSRs)). The rocky terrain, steep inclines, and slick regolith that are typical in these places present challenges for traditional wheeled rovers. For these explorations to be effective, a vehicle needs to have low power,...