An engineer/constructor's view of lunar resource development

Abstract

A strawman lunar outpost scenario has been postulated as a special focus to guide the papers in this symposium. This scenario describes an evolving facility with basic components, personnel, and activities intended to support lunar missions that lead to a permanent occupation on the lunar surface. The engineer/constructor's view of establishing a lunar outpost is largely concerned with identifying and analyzing the logistics needed to transform the engineering designs on paper into a constructed and operating facility. This means that all aspects of the outpost design will be examined to satisfy constructability requirements and to develop a construction management plan that leads to successful facility startup and routine operations. Whether the facility is to be devoted to materials production, vehicle refueling, or science projects will influence the construction plan in its details, but the construction of all lunar facilities will be mainly governed by the difficult logistics path from Earth to the lunar surface.