Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Julie Kleinhenz is a pioneering aerospace engineer and researcher whose career has been defined by her groundbreaking work in In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) — the science of harvesting local planetary resources to sustain human exploration beyond Earth. Working primarily within NASA's framework for lunar and Martian exploration, Kleinhenz has made significant contributions to one of space exploration's most consequential challenges: enabling future missions to "live off the land" rather than depend entirely on Earth-supplied consumables. Her most-cited work (32 citations) synthesizes decades of research on Mars ISRU for producing mission-critical consumables such as propellants, while her influential studies on lunar volatile extraction and drilling operations (21 citations) have advanced our practical understanding of harvesting water ice from the Moon's polar regions. Her development of specialized vacuum testing facilities for ISRU soil mechanics represents a critical methodological contribution, ensuring that hardware performs reliably in extraterrestrial environments before deployment. With her 2023 work addressing responsible lunar mining ethics and her 2019 overview of ISRU strategy across both Moon and Mars, Kleinhenz has demonstrated a rare ability to bridge highly technical engineering challenges with broader mission planning and policy considerations — making her an indispensable voice in humanity's next era of space exploration.