Sudbury space driller signs deal with Florida lunar transporter on excavating solutions: Deltion Innovation teams with Moon Express for mining opportunities on the moon.

• Author: McKinley, Karen
• Position: NEWS

A Sudbury space tech company and a Florida space transport company are joining forces for the future of off-Earth mining projects.

Deltion Innovations and Moon Express signed a memorandum of understanding, Oct. 10, to collaborate on providing drilling equipment and transportation solutions for private companies and government agencies engaged in space exploration.

Deltion CEO Dale Boucher explained this partnership has been in the works for about two years.

"We talked with them for quite some time to be able to provide a one-stop shop for lunar science and lunar mining activities.

"Moon Express is more about transport and said they didn't want to get into the business of building drills and excavators."

Deltion's technological expertise is in drilling and excavation systems, processing, power systems, mobility systems, remote operations and sub-surface exploration equipment. The team approaches technology development from an Earth-based mining perspective and works on the transfer of technology between the terrestrial and space sectors.

Deltion has other contracts with companies, but those are subcontracts to provide services or oversee production.

This partnership allows both companies to offer a complete suite of services, as well as equipment that can be used to create standard procedures for future exploration.

Boucher explained this could bring about a new era in space exploration as it will help mission designers develop a standard procedure when planning launches and missions.

He praised Moon Express as leading the pack when it comes to viable solutions for getting to, and landing, on the moon.

Currently, all missions planned to outer space are "one-offs" and need to be designed from scratch. This partnership means they can offer the launcher, lander, sample collection, drills and other needed components.

"We hope this will create a more standardized approach to lunar-type activities," Boucher said. "Once we understand how to put our hardware on the Moon Express system, then the changes that have to happen from mission to mission should be minimal."

Companies like SpaceX are racing to develop standard equipment and procedures for future space exploration. Boucher explained Russian space rocket technology has been basically the same since the 1970s.

Moon Express offers lunar...