IGF::OT::IGF THIS IS A BAA CONTRACT FOR RESEARCH FOR A KRAKEN ASTEROID BOULDER RETRIEVAL SYSTEM. THE NASA ASTEROID REDIRECT MISSION AIMS TO ALLOW MANNED EXPLORATION OF A NEAR EARTH ASTEROID (NEA) IN THE EARLY 2020S BY USING A ROBOTIC SPACECRAFT TO CAPTURE AND DELIVER A SMALL NEA OR A BOULDER OFF OF AN NEA TO A DISTANT RETROGRADE ORBIT (ORO) AROUND THE MOON IN THE EARLY 2020S. THIS WILL ENABLE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, PRACTICING PLANETARY DEFENSE STRATEGIES TO ENABLE DEFLECTION OF A POTENTIALLY EARTH-IMPACTING ASTEROID, AND WILL PROVIDE MEDIUM-DURATION MANNED EXPLORATION OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN PREPARATION FOR FUTURE DEEP-SPACE MISSIONS TO MARS AND OTHER DESTINATIONS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EFFORT WILL BE TO DETERMINE VIA ANALYSIS AND PROTOTYPE TESTING THE VIABILITY OF THE PROPOSED KRAKEN ASTEROID BOULDER RETRIEVAL SYSTEM INCLUDING BOTH A BOULDER GRASPING MECHANISM AND AN ELECTRODYNAMIC DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM. THE CONTRACTOR WILL CHARACTERIZE THE MOST LIKELY MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF ASTEROIDAL REGOLITH AND ROCKS AS WELL AS CHARACTERIZING THE LIKELY ASTEROIDAL SURFACE ENVIRONMENT. THIS WILL INCLUDE CHARACTERIZING ROCK AND REGOLITH MECHANICAL, ELECTROSTATIC, AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES, AND DETERMINING LIKELY TEMPERATURE RANGES ON THE ASTEROID SURFACE. THE CONTRACTOR WILL ALSO DESIGN AND FABRICATE A BREADBOARD PROTOTYPE OF AN ELECTRODYNAMIC DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM. THIS TASK WILL INCLUDE CREATING HIGH-LEVEL ANALYTICAL MODELS FOR SIZING AND DESIGN OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC LOOPS, DESIGNING THE ELECTROSTATIC ELECTRODES, DESIGNING THE DRIVE ELECTRONICS FOR THE SYSTEM, AND FABRICATING THE BREADBOARD PROTOTYPE AND ASSOCIATED TESTING FIXTURES. THE OUTPUT FOR THIS WILL BE A REPORT SECTION FOR THE INTERIM REPORTS DISCUSSING THE DESIGN, ANALYTICAL RESULTS, AND DEVELOPMENTAL TESTING RESULTS FOR THE DUST COLLECTOR SYSTEM. THE CONTRACTOR WILL TEST THE BREADBOARD PROTOTYPE DEVELOPED IN TASK 2 IN A VACUUM ENVIRONMENT AT ITS OWN FACILITIES USING ASTEROIDAL DUST SIMULANT. THE OUTPUT FOR THIS WILL BE A REPORT SECTION FOR THE INTERIM REPORT DISCUSSING TESTING RESULTS. THE CONTRACTOR WILL TEST THE SPACE-COMPATIBLE JAMMING GRIPPER BRASSBOARD PROTOTYPE DESIGNED IN A THERMAL-VAC CHAMBER. THIS TEST RIG WILL USE THE SIMULATED ASTEROID ROCK SURFACE. THE OUTPUT FOR THIS WILL BE A REPORT SECTION FOR THE FINAL REPORT DISCUSSING TESTING RESULTS. THE CONTRACTOR WILL DESIGN AND FABRICATE A SUBSCALE BRASSBOARD PROTOTYPE OF THE BOULDER GRASPING MECHANISM. THIS WILL CULMINATE IN THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A SUBSCALE, BRASSBOARD BOULDER GRASPER MECHANISM PROTOTYPE FOR TESTING.