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Honeybee Robotics

Honeybee Robotics is an engineering firm specializing in the and manufacture of advanced robotics, mechanisms, and actuation systems for and extreme environments, founded in 1983 and acquired by in 2022 to become a wholly owned subsidiary. The company, headquartered in , with additional facilities in and , has completed over 1,000 projects for government and commercial clients across sectors including , systems, defense, and resource utilization. Its expertise encompasses planetary drills, robotic arms, sample acquisition tools, motors, actuators, and drive electronics, enabling missions to bodies like the , Mars, and asteroids. Honeybee's notable contributions to NASA missions include developing the rotary percussive coring drill and breakoff tube bits for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, which collect intact rock cores for potential return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return program. In 2023, the company was selected to build the Spin Eject Mechanism for NASA's Mars Sample Return mission, a device that secures and releases sample capsules during transit from Mars orbit back to Earth. Earlier innovations, supported by NASA Small Business Innovation Research funding, include the ice rasp for the Phoenix lander and drills for other Mars missions, as well as prototype systems for asteroid resource extraction. In 2025, Honeybee was selected to develop a lunar rover for Firefly Aerospace's mission to the Gruithuisen Domes. These technologies not only advance scientific discovery but have also led to commercial spinoffs, such as improved coring tools for terrestrial geologists and hazardous site remediation.

Overview

Company profile

Honeybee Robotics is an engineering firm specializing in the design and development of advanced robotic systems for challenging environments, including , defense, and industrial applications. Founded in 1983 by Steve Gorevan and Chris Chapman in , the company initially operated as a utilizing off-the-shelf robotic components to address complex engineering needs. Over the decades, it has evolved into a leader in custom solutions, delivering innovative hardware for planetary missions and extreme terrestrial operations. Since its acquisition by in January 2022, Honeybee Robotics has functioned as a wholly owned , integrating its expertise into broader space infrastructure initiatives while maintaining its core focus on and technologies. The company is led by CEO Kiel Davis and employs approximately 400 people across its operations, with an estimated annual revenue of $75 million USD as of 2025. This scale enables Honeybee to tackle high-stakes projects requiring in harsh conditions. Honeybee Robotics serves a diverse client base, with primary emphasis on government agencies such as and the U.S. Department of Defense, international partners like , academic institutions, and commercial entities including its parent company . These collaborations underscore the firm's role in advancing robotic capabilities for scientific discovery and operational reliability in space and beyond.

Operations and facilities

Honeybee Robotics maintains its headquarters in , at 1860 Lefthand Circle, which serves as the primary hub for (R&D) and activities. This facility supports core operations including the design and prototyping of advanced robotic systems tailored for . The Longmont site features specialized infrastructure such as a Class 10,000 and thermal vacuum chambers, enabling the testing and assembly of hardware under simulated extraterrestrial conditions to ensure compliance with planetary protection protocols. In addition to the headquarters, Honeybee Robotics operates facilities in Altadena, California, which focuses on spacecraft mechanisms and exploration systems development, and in Greenbelt, Maryland, strategically located near NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to facilitate close collaboration on federal projects. These locations enhance the company's operational scope by providing distributed expertise in prototyping, testing, and manufacturing space-qualified robotic hardware, with an emphasis on cleanroom environments to prevent contamination in sensitive applications. The Altadena office, for instance, has supported remote operations for lunar and planetary instruments, while the Greenbelt site aids in integration with NASA-led initiatives. The company's operational capabilities extend to delivering high-reliability mechanisms designed to withstand , , and extreme environments, with over 1,000 projects completed for space and terrestrial applications. Honeybee Robotics has a global reach, providing systems for missions in the United States, through partnerships with —such as the Phobos mining system for the mission—and various international collaborators. Following its acquisition by in 2022, the company has integrated its operations with broader space infrastructure efforts, enhancing support for lunar and beyond-Earth projects while maintaining collaborations like those with .

History

Founding and early development

Honeybee Robotics was founded in 1983 by engineers Steve Gorevan and Chris Chapman in City's Lower East Side, initially operating above a piano shop. Gorevan, who served as chairman and led engineering efforts with his expertise in mechanisms, and Chapman, who handled operations with a focus on space applications, established the company as a utilizing off-the-shelf robots for industrial and emerging space needs. The company's initial vision centered on developing innovative robotic tools to address challenges in scientific exploration, particularly planetary sampling in extreme environments such as the and asteroids, drawing inspiration from early space achievements like John Glenn's 1962 orbital flight that motivated Gorevan's career in . This focus positioned Honeybee to transition from terrestrial —such as robotic arms and end-effectors—to specialized mechanisms for missions, emphasizing resource utilization and sustained robotic presence in extraterrestrial settings. A pivotal early milestone came in 1986 with Honeybee's first contract, which funded the development of prototype mechanisms for applications, marking the company's entry into . Key early projects built on the 1986 contract and involved the development of tools for missions in the 2000s, such as those for the and rovers, establishing Honeybee's expertise in coring and physical sampling under harsh conditions. These efforts included low-power concepts for penetration and resource extraction, establishing long-term collaborations with on planetary exploration technologies.

Acquisitions and expansion

In 2017, Ensign-Bickford Industries, a privately held corporation founded in , acquired Honeybee Robotics, providing the company with access to expanded manufacturing capabilities and increased funding to pursue larger-scale robotics projects. Between 2018 and 2019, Ensign-Bickford acquired Avior Control Technologies in 2018 and subsequently merged it with Honeybee in 2019, integrating Avior's specialized knowledge in designing and manufacturing -rated precision actuators, motors, gearboxes, and motion control systems. In 2022, acquired Honeybee Robotics from Ensign-Bickford for an undisclosed amount, positioning the company as a wholly owned to support ' broader ambitions, including alignment with 's objectives. Following the acquisition, secured a $3.4 billion contract in May 2023 to develop the Mark 2 and additional spacecraft for sustained lunar presence. These ownership changes significantly broadened Honeybee's project portfolio, which has now exceeded 1,000 advanced engineering initiatives for government, defense, and commercial clients, while fostering diversification into the commercial space sector and bolstering efforts focused on reusable space technologies. The expansions also supported growth in operational facilities, including a relocation to the in November 2014 and a transition of headquarters to , around 2017 to accommodate heightened demand. In March 2025, Honeybee was selected by to provide a for their lunar mission to the Gruithuisen Domes.

Technologies and products

Drilling and sampling systems

Honeybee Robotics has developed a range of and sampling systems optimized for material acquisition, emphasizing lightweight, power-efficient designs capable of operating in harsh and low-gravity environments. These systems focus on exposing or extracting subsurface materials for scientific analysis, incorporating abrasion, coring, and pneumatic techniques to handle diverse and rock types while minimizing energy use and mass. Early designs prioritized mechanical reliability, evolving toward sensor-integrated autonomy to enable precise, adaptive operations on planetary surfaces. The Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT), one of Honeybee Robotics' seminal contributions, is a compact, diamond-impregnated grinding device deployed on NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers and in 2003. Measuring 128 mm long and 85 mm in with a mass of 687 grams, the RAT uses three DC brushed motors to rotate a resin-bonded grinding wheel, creating 45 mm holes up to 5 mm deep to remove weathered surface layers and expose fresh rock interiors for spectrometric analysis. Over its operational lifetime, the RAT performed more than 90 grinding operations across the two rovers, successfully abrading diverse Martian basalts and demonstrating durability in dusty conditions with minimal power draw of around 20 watts per grind. This tool marked the first in-situ rock interior access on another planet, validating Honeybee's approach to low-mass abrasion for rover-based . For asteroid sampling, Honeybee Robotics engineered the Mining System, a pneumatic sampler for JAXA's (MMX) mission targeting ' regolith. This motorless device employs high-pressure ultra-pure gas to excavate and loft loose surface material into a collection canister, operating effectively in microgravity without mechanical penetration to reduce complexity and contamination risks. Mounted on the lander's leg, it activates briefly post-landing to capture in seconds, drawing from Honeybee's PlanetVac technology heritage for robust, low-power acquisition in low-gravity regimes. Shipped to in February 2023 after extensive Mars-analog testing, the system exemplifies efficient, non-invasive sampling for airless bodies. The MMX mission is scheduled for launch in 2026. Honeybee's portfolio also includes rotary-percussive coring drills for deeper subsurface access, such as the arm-deployed systems capable of extracting intact cores up to 2 meters in length from or . These drills integrate percussive hammers with rotary bits to overcome in variable terrains, enabling autonomous depth control via onboard sensors for power-efficient penetration under limited weight-on-bit constraints typical of rovers or landers. Adaptive sampling arms, often paired with these corers, feature multi-jointed manipulators that adjust to uneven surfaces, facilitating precise positioning and retrieval in dusty or vacuum settings while maintaining operations below 100 watts. Such systems prioritize minimal mass—typically under 10 kg for full assemblies—and feedback loops for real-time adjustment, supporting in-situ resource utilization and geological profiling. In March 2025, Honeybee Robotics was selected to provide a for Aerospace's third lunar mission, targeted for 2028, to investigate the composition of the Gruithuisen Gamma Dome. The will support scientific analysis of volcanic formations, incorporating sampling capabilities derived from Honeybee's and acquisition technologies. The technical evolution of Honeybee's drilling systems traces from manual prototypes in the , focused on basic mechanical coring for early planetary concepts, to sophisticated, AI-enhanced tools post-2010 that incorporate and autonomous algorithms for adaptive . Initial designs emphasized brute-force penetration but shifted toward integrated feedback controls by the early , as seen in the RAT's motor-driven precision, optimizing for mass reductions like the RAT's sub-1 kg profile. Subsequent advancements integrated intelligent software for terrain-responsive operations, enabling fully autonomous sample acquisition in extreme environments while reducing power and mass demands for long-duration missions.

Deployment and containment mechanisms

Honeybee Robotics was awarded a contract in November 2022 valued at $17.7 million to , and deliver the Capture, Containment, and Retrieval System (CCRS), Earth Entry System (EES), and Spin Eject Mechanism (SEM) for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, with performance extending through July 2026. As of November 2025, the MSR campaign is undergoing architectural studies for potential redesigns to optimize cost and schedule, but subsystem development including Honeybee's contributions continues. The CCRS, integrated into the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) , enables the , capture, containment, and preparation of the Orbiting Sample—a sealed of Martian rock and soil samples launched from by the Sample Retrieval Lander. This employs a Robotic Transfer Arm (RTAS) consisting of a , , control electronics, and software to grasp the sample in orbit, transfer it securely, and insert it into the EES while maintaining sterility to prevent Earth-based contamination of the pristine samples. The CCRS also incorporates sterilization processes for the container, ensuring compliance with protocols before assembly into the return vehicle. The Entry System (EES), a conical aerodynamic capsule developed by Honeybee Robotics, safeguards the contained Mars samples during high-speed re-entry into 's atmosphere and subsequent landing. Featuring a robust to endure extreme thermal loads—potentially exceeding 1,500°C—the EES decelerates the capsule from orbital velocities while protecting the internal sterile environment. Following , a deployment system facilitates a controlled descent, enabling a at a designated recovery site such as the , where the samples can be retrieved without compromise. This design prioritizes dual containment layers and impact mitigation to preserve sample integrity throughout the return phase, distinguishing it from extraction tools by focusing on secure delivery post-acquisition. The Spin Eject Mechanism (SEM), a critical subsystem of the EES also engineered by Honeybee Robotics, secures the capsule during launch, interplanetary cruise, and on-orbit capture operations aboard the ERO, forming part of the primary structural load path. Upon completion of sample containment, the SEM releases the EES by imparting a precise spin to initiate its Earth-directed trajectory, ensuring accurate targeting for without reliance on additional . This technology draws from Honeybee's patented spin ejection methods for deploying payloads in settings, adapted here for orbital release to achieve mission reliability in microgravity. Overall, these mechanisms emphasize robust integration for zero-gravity operations, with Honeybee's systems undergoing qualification testing to verify performance in simulated space conditions, including parabolic flights for microgravity validation. In 2023, Honeybee Robotics was selected for DARPA's LunA-10 program to develop LUNARSABER, a deployable mast system for lunar surface operations. LUNARSABER provides utility functions including navigation, , and energy beaming via redistribution, with deployable structures up to 100 meters tall to support infrastructure on the . As of , the technology is in the capability study phase for integration into lunar architectures.

Notable missions and projects

Mars exploration contributions

Honeybee Robotics played a pivotal role in the by developing the Rock Abrasion Tool (), a diamond-tipped grinding device mounted on the robotic arms of and , which landed in 2004. The enabled the rovers to remove weathered surface layers from rocks, exposing fresh interiors for by onboard instruments. Over the course of their , the tools performed a total of 67 grinding operations—15 on and 52 on —across more than 30 rock targets, facilitating detailed spectroscopic examinations that revealed hydrated minerals and chemical signatures indicative of past . For subsequent missions, Honeybee contributed coring and sample handling technologies to the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. On Curiosity, launched in 2012 as part of the Mars Science Laboratory, the company supplied the Sample Manipulation System (SMS), which delivered powdered rock samples from the rover's drill to the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite for in-situ analysis of organics and volatiles. Perseverance, launched in 2020, incorporated Honeybee's rotary-percussive drill for coring intact rock samples and elements of the sample caching subsystem, which seals and stores cores in titanium tubes. As of November 2025, Perseverance has collected 27 viable rock core samples, along with regolith and atmospheric specimens, deposited at multiple cache sites in Jezero Crater for future retrieval. These systems have enabled the gathering of over 20 high-quality samples poised for return to Earth. Honeybee Robotics is currently leading development of key components for the (MSR) campaign, including the Capture, , and Retrieval System (CCRS). This involves designing a on the Sample Retrieval Lander to acquire the sample caches from the Martian surface and transfer them into a vessel for launch via the Mars Ascent Vehicle. The MSR mission, now targeting a in the early following recent architectural reviews, aims to return these samples to by the late , enabling advanced laboratory analysis. These contributions have profoundly impacted Mars by providing direct access to subsurface materials, leading to discoveries such as sulfate-rich evaporites and clay minerals that suggest ancient habitable environments. The technologies have advanced our understanding of Martian geological history and potential for past life, with findings from abraded and cored samples informing models of water-driven processes and organic preservation.

Lunar and beyond-Earth initiatives

Honeybee Robotics has played a pivotal role in 's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover () mission. In September 2025, selected to deliver VIPER to the 's , targeted for launch no earlier than late 2027. The company developed the (The Regolith and Drill for Exploring New Terrain) instrument, a rotary-percussive capable of penetrating up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) below the lunar surface to collect samples potentially containing water . features carbide cutting teeth, a tip-mounted , and helical flutes for transporting cuttings to the surface, where a brush mechanism directs samples into an analysis chute. This marks the first robotic to such depths on the since the Apollo era, enabling VIPER to map and characterize volatiles in permanently shadowed regions. As a of , Honeybee Robotics contributes to the through the company's $3.4 billion contract awarded in 2023 for developing a sustainable (HLS) for Artemis V and beyond. Honeybee provides robotic precursor technologies focused on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), including systems to prospect and extract like water ice for production and support. These efforts integrate with Blue Origin's broader Project Oasis initiative, announced in September 2025, which aims to identify, assess, and harness lunar volatiles through phased robotic demonstrations. For Japan's (MMX) mission, led by with a launch now scheduled for 2026, Honeybee Robotics supplied the complete Phobos Mining System, a pneumatic sampler designed for regolith collection in the microgravity environment of the Martian moon . The system uses compressed gas to fluidize and capture fine surface particles without physical contact, enabling autonomous sampling during the spacecraft's brief touchdown and facilitating sample return to in 2031. This technology addresses the challenges of low-gravity excavation, where traditional drills may fail due to material displacement. In addition to these flagship projects, Honeybee has advanced lunar ISRU concepts through excavator prototypes and simulation experiments. The company's pneumatic excavator design employs gas flow to mobilize and transport for processing into usable resources, such as oxygen and metals, demonstrating efficient excavation in lunar vacuum conditions. Complementing this, the 2021 Honey Bubble Excitation Experiment (H-BEE), funded by , tested bubble formation and granular material transport in viscous liquids under simulated lunar gravity aboard a suborbital flight, informing electrolysis processes for extracting oxygen from molten . These innovations underscore Honeybee's focus on scalable, autonomous systems for sustainable lunar presence.

Organization and leadership

Corporate structure

Honeybee Robotics operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of , having been acquired in 2022 and maintaining a semi-autonomous structure that allows it to leverage shared resources across Blue Origin's space initiatives. This arrangement enables focused development of robotic systems while integrating with broader company efforts in exploration technologies. The company's internal organization is structured around key functional areas to support its end-to-end development of space robotics. Engineering teams concentrate on of advanced mechanisms, such as robotic arms and sampling tools, tailored for extreme environments. Manufacturing operations handle prototyping, assembly, and qualification testing to ensure hardware reliability. Program management oversees integration, coordinating deployment and collaboration with mission partners. These divisions facilitate vertically integrated processes from to delivery. Governance is provided through oversight by executives, aligning Honeybee's operations with the parent company's strategic objectives. As a developer of space hardware, Honeybee adheres strictly to U.S. export controls, including (ITAR), and 's standards to prevent biological contamination during extraterrestrial missions. Post-acquisition, Honeybee has experienced expanded opportunities, including increased funding tied to NASA's , where it contributes robotic capabilities as part of Blue Origin's National Team. This has fostered deeper collaboration with Blue Origin's propulsion and lander development groups, enhancing integration of Honeybee's technologies into human lunar landing systems.

Key personnel

Honeybee Robotics was co-founded in 1983 by Stephen Gorevan and Chris Chapman, with Daniel Lin also contributing to the early conceptualization of the company. Stephen Gorevan, who serves as the company's Chairman, pioneered the development of space mechanisms and led Honeybee's initial contracts, establishing its focus on planetary exploration technologies during the 1980s. His vision for innovative systems drove the company's early growth from a small in to a key player in space hardware. Chris Chapman, a co-founder, concentrated on drilling innovations that became central to Honeybee's portfolio, including tools for sample acquisition on surfaces; he retired in the late after serving in executive roles such as Vice Chairman. Kiel Davis served as the CEO and President following the 2022 acquisition by until April 2024, bringing expertise in from prior roles at Honeybee where he managed mission areas including project oversight and . Under his , the company integrated with Blue Origin's operations and advanced projects aligned with NASA's , while expanding commercial partnerships in space exploration. As of November 2025, details on the current CEO are not publicly available. Among other key executives, Erik Mumm serves as of the Business Unit, leading technical development for programs and hardware. Kris Zacny, of and Senior , directs efforts on planetary exploration tools, including drilling and sampling systems for missions to Mars and beyond.

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