UAB’s EITD will lead in the design and development of the Lunar Freezer System in a new contract with NASA.The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Engineering has secured a $37 million NASA contract to develop a state-of-the-art freezer that will enable the return of temperature-sensitive materials from the moon and the Gateway Space Station to Earth.

UAB’s Engineering and Innovative Technology Development research group will lead the design, development, manufacturing, assembly, testing, delivery and post-launch deployment of the Lunar Freezer System, along with ongoing engineering support.

“This opportunity is extremely exciting for our group,” said Chad Duke, director of the EITD. “The Lunar Freezer System contract will allow a completely new avenue to apply our expertise in providing cold stowage facilities outside of low earth orbit for sample return from the surface of the moon and much harsher environments.”

Once completed, the LFS hardware will be delivered to NASA for integration onto various launch vehicles destined for the lunar surface and the Gateway Space Station. Additionally, the system will be incorporated into the Orion Crew Module for its return to Earth.

The contract began Dec. 4 and will run for 66 months, with two optional extensions that could keep the award active through June 2033.

“All of these are incredible opportunities for us to expand our expertise and provide a foundation to build upon for years to come,” Duke said. “The LFS contract represents the next step in extending our expertise to support NASA’s return to the lunar surface and hopefully lead to supporting future exploration of deep space.”