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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Mega Project: Processes, Work Flow and Terminology of the Terrestrial Construction Industry versus the Space Industry

Recent developments around the world show an increased interest and international activity toward developing a lunar surface human and robotic presence with a long term, sustainable vision. In Europe, the construction of a "Moon Village" has been proposed, and China has stated its intention to build a research station with a crew at the lunar South Pole. Russia stated it will land cosmonauts on the Moon in the 2030's. India has sent an orbiter, a robotic lander, and rover to the Moon. The USA intends to land the first woman and a man on the Moon by 2024 to initiate a sustained human lunar presence.A lunar research station with associated commercial activities will require infrastructure to become a permanent capability. Landing and launch pads, propellant storage and distribution farms, spacecraft access and handling structures, cranes, blast protection berms or walls, roads, graded areas, dust stabilized areas, foundations, parking lots, radiation shelters, micro-meteorite protection hangars, habitats and other human shelters, greenhouse farms, utility trenches, power plants, industrial water and oxygen extraction plants, communications antenna towers, thermal protection, mining zones, crater access and sub-surface access will be required to create a safe and sustainable lunar operations capability. This infrastructure will require significant construction activities in an extreme environment, with risky and expensive operations. On Earth, there are similar large and expensive projects (>$1 Billion) in difficult locations that attract a lot of public attention. These are known as "Mega Projects" and examples include bridges, tunnels, highways, railways, airports, seaports, power plants, dams, wastewater projects, Special Economic Zones (SEZ), oil and natural gas extraction projects, public buildings, information technology systems, aerospace projects, and weapons systems. Large consortiums consisting of public and private entities typically implement these infrastructure Mega-Projects.This paper will compare the typical design process, project management process, and work flow in the terrestrial construction industry to the space industry in order to create a better understanding between the terrestrial construction industry and the space industry, to further enable collaboration on a lunar Mega Project to build infrastructure on the Moon. In addition, a glossary of respective industry terminology with annotated linkages and definitions has been compiled. This information will enable contracts and business practices to be formulated for generating requests for proposals (RFP) by governments to consortiums consisting of construction and space industry companies that will bid on Lunar Infrastructure Projects that could lead to contracts to build the permanent capabilities.

Robert P Mueller↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Relevant Environment Additive Construction Technology (REACT)

Project Overview This project is focused on developing technologies that enable construction of a Lunar Safe Haven type structure on the moon. A full scale architectural and structural design will be completed based on lunar conditions and Artemis mission needs. A scaled structure will be 3D printed in simulated lunar environments. Technical Approach Polymer bound regolith composite materials will be developed and characterized for lunar additive construction applications. A full scale architectural and structural design will be completed based on the latest scientific data on lunar environments including radiation, meteoroids, thermal conditions, reduced gravity, and moonquakes. The project will culminate with a demonstration of additive construction in simulated lunar vacuum, thermal, regolith, and UV conditions. Results/Summary Preliminary material specifications have been developed and an initial batch has been produced. A first iteration of the architectural and structural designs have been completed. Hardware for 3D printing in simulated lunar conditions is under development. Contributing Partners AI Space Factory – Winner of the NASA 3D Printed Habitat Centennial Challenge Infusion and Transition Plan On-surface construction of infrastructure is a critical capability of the sustainable phase of the Artemis Program and eventual sustainable human presence on Mars. It provides the ability to create protective shelters on-demand using local resources. The 3D-printing technology will achieve TRL 6 in 1g/vacuum tests with thermal/UV exposure in this project. CLPS missions will be pursued for infusion to demonstrate vertical construction with lunar regolith and conditions. Modeling and simulation will be used to define the pilot-scale shelter construction mission for long-term exposure on the lunar surface to validate the system for Artemis operational deployment.

Lunar Construction↗
NASA NTRS1991

Design and emplacement of an integrated lunar power system - Issues and concerns

Issues regarding the construction and operation of a stationary lunar surface power system that must be resolved in order to create a permanent manned presence on the moon are addressed. The issues considered include: (1) the centralization or decentralization of the electrical power system; (2) whether power transmission should be ac or dc; (3) what mix of power generating technology should be used; and (4) the physical interface requirements between the power-system hardware and the construction equipment to be used in placing the hardware on the lunar surface.

Sprouse, Kenneth M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

2024 Nasa Lunabotics University Competition: Site Preparation With Bulk Regolith

Lunabotics provides accredited in-stitutions of higher learning students (vocational-technical, college, university) an opportunity to apply the NASA systems engineering process to design and build a prototype robot. This robot would be capable of performing the proposed operations on the Lunar sur-face in support of future Artemis mission goals. Lunabotics features a systems engineering design challenge to engage students in the next phase of hu-man space exploration supporting the Artemis missions. This two-semester event encourages students to design and build an autonomous or telerobotic robot designed to traverse the simulated Lunar surface and complete the assigned construction tasks. The number of teams accepted into this challenge is not predetermined but is based on the scores and overall quality of the Project Management Plans received and other factors.

Lunabotics↗
NASA NTRS2009

NASA Constellation Program (CxP) Key Driving Requirements and Element Descriptions for International Architecture Working Group (IAWG) Functional Teams Human Transportation Cargo Transportation

The NASA Constellation uncrewed cargo mission delivers cargo to any designated location on the lunar surface (or other staging point) in a single mission. This capability is used to deliver surface infrastructure needed for lunar outpost construction, to provide periodic logistics resupply to support a continuous human lunar presence, and potentially deliver other assets to various locations.In the nominal mission mode, the Altair lunar lander is launched on Ares V into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), following a short Low Earth Orbit (LEO) loiter period, the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) performs the Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) burn and is then jettisoned. The Altair performs translunar trajectory correction maneuvers as necessary and performs the Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) burn. Altair then descends to the surface to land near a designated target, presumably in proximity to an Outpost location or another site of interest for exploration.Alternatively, the EDS and Altair Descent Stage could deliver assets to various staging points within their propulsive capabilities.

Martinez, Roland M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Surface Construction

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Surface Construction↗
NASA NTRS1992

Vertical regolith shield wall construction for lunar base applications

Lunar bases located on the lunar surface will require permanent protection from radiation and launch ejecta. This paper outlines a method of providing physical protection using lunar regolith that is constructed in situ as a modular vertical wall using specially devised methods of containment and construction. Deployable compartments, reinforced with corner struts, are elevated and filled by a moving gantry. The compartments interlock to form a stable wall. Different wall heights, thicknesses, and plan configurations are achieved by varying the geometry of the individual compartments, which are made from woven carbon fibers. Conventional terrestrial structural engineering techniques can be modified and used to establish the structural integrity and performance of the wall assembly.

Kaplicky, Jan↗
NASA NTRS1977

The surface abundance and stratigraphy of lunar rocks from data about their albedo

The data pf ground-based studies and surveys of the lunar surface by the Zond and Apollo spacecraft have been used to construct an albedo map covering 80 percent of the lunar sphere. Statistical analysis of the distribution of areas with various albedos shows several types of lunar surface. Comparison of albedo data for maria and continental areas with the results of geochemical orbital surveys allows the identification of the types of surface with known types of lunar rock. The aluminum/silcon and magnesium/silicon ratios as measured by the geochemical experiments on the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 spacecraft were used as an indication of the chemical composition of the rock. The relationship of the relative aluminum content to the age of crystalline rocks allows a direct dependence to be constructed between the mean albedo of areas and the age of the rocks of which they are composed.

Shevchenko, V. V.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The influence of lunar propellant production on the cost-effectiveness of cislunar transportation systems

It is well known that propellants produced at the points of destination such as the Moon or Mars will help the economy of space transportation, particularly if round trips with a crew are involved. The construction and operation of a lunar base shortly after the turn of the century is one of the space programs under serious consideration at the present time. Space transportation is one of the major cost drivers. With present technology, if expendable launchers were employed, the specific transportation costs of one-way cargo flights would be approximately 10,000 dollars/kg (1985) at life-cycle cumulative 100,000 ton payload to the lunar surface. A fully reusable space transportation system using lunar oxygen and Earth-produced liquid hydrogen (LH2) would reduce the specific transportation costs by one order of magnitude to less than 1000 dollars/kg at the same payload volume. Another case of primary interest is the delivery of construction material and consumables from the lunar surface to the assembly site of space solar power plants in geostationary orbit (GEO). If such a system were technically and economically feasible, a cumulative payload of about 1 million tons or more would be required. At this level a space freighter system could deliver this material from Earth for about 300 dollars/kg (1985) to GEO. A lunar space transportation system using lunar oxygen and a fuel mixture of 50 percent Al and 50 percent LH2 (that has to come from Earth) could reduce the specific transportation costs to less than half, approximately 150 dollars/kg. If only lunar oxygen were available, these costs would come down to 200 dollars/kg. This analysis indicates a sizable reduction of the transportation burden on this type of mission. It should not be overlooked, however, that there are several uncertainties in such calculations. It is quite difficult at this point to calculate the cost of lunar-produced O and/or Al. This will be a function of production rate and life-cycle length. In quoting any cost of this nature, it is very important to state the cumulative transportation volume, since this is a very sensitive parameter. Nevertheless, cost models must be developed now to understand fully the interdependencies of a large number of parameters and to provide the best possible data for planning purposes. Without such data, mission modes and vehicle designs or sizes cannot be selected intelligently.

Koelle, H. H.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Humanoid Locomotion: An Experimental Study on Signal Processing and Dynamic Approaches to Humanoid Walk Generation

It is hoped that one day robots will assist in lunar and Martian surface exploration by constructing facilities before their human counterparts arrive; robots with a human form-factor may be desirable since they can potentially use the same set of tools designed for humans. With the goal in mind, locomotion may be one of the biggest challenges for a humanoid sine the terrain is most likely uneven and varying. An adjustable walk has been developed for the HOAP-2 robot by gathering motor data from a preprogrammed fixed walk and using signal processing techniques. The result is a basic walk pattern adjustable in the frequency domain that can be used as a central pattern generator (CPG) in which the robot can modify using sensor feedback. Ultimately, the feedback can be applied to have the humanoid walk on various terrains, slopes, and avoid obstacles.

Gan, Quan↗
NASA NTRS2013

Impact-Actuated Digging Tool for Lunar Excavation

NASA s plans for a lunar outpost require extensive excavation. The Lunar Surface Systems Project Office projects that thousands of tons of lunar soil will need to be moved. Conventional excavators dig through soil by brute force, and depend upon their substantial weight to react to the forces generated. This approach will not be feasible on the Moon for two reasons: (1) gravity is 1/6th that on Earth, which means that a kg on the Moon will supply 1/6 the down force that it does on Earth, and (2) transportation costs (at the time of this reporting) of $50K to $100K per kg make massive excavators economically unattractive. A percussive excavation system was developed for use in vacuum or nearvacuum environments. It reduces the down force needed for excavation by an order of magnitude by using percussion to assist in soil penetration and digging. The novelty of this excavator is that it incorporates a percussive mechanism suited to sustained operation in a vacuum environment. A percussive digger breadboard was designed, built, and successfully tested under both ambient and vacuum conditions. The breadboard was run in vacuum to more than 2..times the lifetime of the Apollo Lunar Surface Drill, throughout which the mechanism performed and held up well. The percussive digger was demonstrated to reduce the force necessary for digging in lunar soil simulant by an order of magnitude, providing reductions as high as 45:1. This is an enabling technology for lunar site preparation and ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization) mining activities. At transportation costs of $50K to $100K per kg, reducing digging forces by an order of magnitude translates into billions of dollars saved by not launching heavier systems to accomplish excavation tasks necessary to the establishment of a lunar outpost. Applications on the lunar surface include excavation for habitats, construction of roads, landing pads, berms, foundations, habitat shielding, and ISRU.

Wilson, Jak↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System: Unprecedented Payload Capabilities

As NASA turns 60 and plans to transition the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth orbit (LEO) activities to commercial enterprises, the Agency's human exploration program turns its focus to deep space. With missions planned to send astronauts back to the Moon and to construct a lunar orbiting Gateway for surface access as well as science experiments and technology demonstrations, NASA requires a vehicle with capabilities for launching more mass and volume than is currently commercially available. To that end, NASA and its private sector partners are building the Space Launch System (SLS) super heavy-lift launch vehicle, which will send the new Orion crew capsule, eventually with a complement of four astronauts, to cislunar space for the first time since the Apollo Program in the 1960s and 1970s. NASA Kennedy Space Center's (KSC's) Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program has upgraded and refurbished ground and launch facilities to process, assemble and launch NASA's new deep space exploration system, which is managed by the Exploration Systems Development (ESD) organization in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD). Offering an unmatched combination of power, payload capacity and departure energy, the evolvable SLS features the world's most proven propulsion system: solid rocket boosters and RS-25 main engines with a modified Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) cryogenic upper stage. The initial SLS configuration, Block 1, will deliver at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI). The second variant, Block 1B, will deliver at least 34 t to TLI in its crew configuration and at least 40 t to TLI in its cargo configuration. The Block 1 cargo vehicle will fly with an industry-standard 5 m fairing while the Block 1B cargo configuration will accommodate 8 m-diameter fairings in varying lengths. The Block 2 vehicle will incorporate upgraded boosters and possibly larger fairings for launching Mars-class payloads to deep space. Although designed to enable human exploration of deep space, the vehicle also provides game-changing benefits for large science payloads and even harnesses excess capacity to provide small satellites with access to deep space. Three flights of the Block 1 vehicle are now planned; the first vehicle, being built for a test flight known as Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), is nearing completion at NASA and contractor sites across the United States. In fact, hardware for the second mission has also been built. This paper will provide an overview of the SLS vehicle, with a focus on its payload accommodations and the missions enabled by the unprecedented payload volume and departure energy of SLS. This paper also describes the status of the manufacturing and integration for first flight and beyond.

Exploration Mission-1↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Geopolymer Lunar Concrete under Reduced-Pressure Curing and Vacuum Exposure

Geopolymer concrete has emerged as a promising material for constructing habitats, roads, landing pads, and other necessary infrastructure on the lunar surface. Proper in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is an important aspect of any candidate lunar construction material. Geopolymer concrete is effective at ISRU, as the lunar regolith can be used in the “as found” condition and mixed with an alkaline solution, such as sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide, which could also be mostly produced in-situ. It is envisioned that any concrete material on the lunar surface would be deposited with additive manufacturing techniques and would require a temporary environmental enclosure to mitigate the harsh lunar environment during construction and curing, such as pressure and temperature. Data are needed to set a benchmark for the conditions to be achieved within the deployable environmental enclosure during printing, as well as the resultant material properties after the enclosure is removed. This novel study investigated the influence of reduced atmospheric pressures during the initial curing period on the compressive strength of geopolymer lunar concrete created with two types of lunar regolith simulant. The simulants used in the study represent the regolith for the lunar mare (OPRL2N) and lunar highlands (OPRH2N) regions. Results show a noticeable decline in strength with a reduction in pressure and visible degradation. After the deployable environmental enclosure is removed from the printed segment of infrastructure on the lunar surface, it would then be exposed to the harsh vacuum environment. To understand the importance of curing time required within the deployable enclosure before it is removed, samples were cast and cured for different lengths of time and then exposed to a vacuum chamber capable of achieving 100 mTorr. Control samples were also cast at the same time but left in a standard laboratory environment after curing. The weight change and compressive strength as a function of time in the vacuum chamber were monitored for up to 56 days. The results showed that exposure to the vacuum limits further reaction and strength gain in comparison to control samples left in the laboratory environment. This research is in strong alignment with the 2020 NASA Technology Taxonomy materials area (12.1) and the in-situ resource utilization area (7.1), as it provides necessary data on the geopolymer lunar concrete material to support safe and sustainable options for maintaining a human presence on the Moon.

Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Tec↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Laser Beam Welding Advancements for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing

NASA is currently working to develop in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities for low Earth orbit and the lunar surface. One crucial technology for this effort is laser beam welding. Laser systems can perform joining, cleaning, cutting, and repair activities, which will enable the construction of large in-space structures that could not fit on a single launch vehicle, such as trusses for solar panels, radiators, or communications infrastructure. Multiple projects studying laser welding for space applications are currently underway at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. One of these, the DIsk-Shaped Configurable and Modular vAcuum uNit (DISCMAN), is a compact vacuum chamber designed to support parameter development for laser welding in microgravity. It contains a rotating platen with weld samples made from aluminum, steel, and titanium, a high-power infrared laser, and integrated pumps for pulling vacuum inside the sample cartridge. The DISCMAN payload is planned to launch to the International Space Station, where welds will be performed under sustained microgravity inside the Bishop Airlock. Another effort underway at Marshall is the Lunar Assembly and Servicing by Autonomous Robotics (LASAR) initiative. This project uses a space-rated robotic arm equipped with a laser weld head, wire feeder, and multiple cameras to perform welds in a thermal vacuum chamber simulating the lunar surface environment. Some of these welds are done on snowflake joints, which are specially designed to slot together to join segments of trussN structures, allowing for the construction of tall surface infrastructure. DISCMAN, LASAR, and other projects are being carried out to advance the technological maturity of in-space laser beam welding, collect data to inform computational models, and learn reliable processes for creating weld joints in space. This work supports NASA’s greater goals to expand humanity’s presence in low Earth orbit, establish a permanent moon base, and eventually send crewed missions to Mars and beyond.

Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRS1992

The challenge of constraining mass for planetary construction

The challenges facing the designers of planetary construction machinery, construction methods, and indigenous construction materials are examined. Machinery and methods are studied from the perspective of mass and power constraints, and indigenous material use is viewed from a technical and mass-benefit vantage point. It is argued that the value of an object on the lunar surface is inexorably linked to its mass due to the high cost of space transportation. Payload capabilities and delivery costs for selected U.S. launch vehicles are given in tabular form. Power vs mass for selected construction vehicles and lunar surface hardware is illustrated. It is concluded that construction materials must be evaluated on their mass-cost of production vs the mass of equal materials delivered direct. Machinery must be designed to be both mass and power efficient, with a premium on performance per unit of mass and power.

Connolly, John F.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA LSII Lunar Simulant Project

Introduction: America has entered a new era of exploration. NASA’s Artemis program will lead humanity forward to the Moon and prepare us for the next giant leap, the exploration of Mars [1]. To champion technologies needed to live on and explore the Moon, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) established the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative (LSII)[2].LSII's technology development portfolio includes: Utilizing the Moon’s resources; Establishing sustainable surface power; Building machinery and electronics that work in extreme environments, like super-chilly permanently shadowed craters; Mitigating lunar dust; Carrying out surface excavation, manufacturing and construction duties; and Extreme access which includes navigating and exploring the surface/subsurface. To support the development and testing of these technologies, LSII created the lunar simulant project, to create and/or acquire low-, medium-and high-fidelity lunar simulants to match the needs of STMD projects at all levels of technology readiness levels (TRL), as well as other NASA programs. There is not one bulk lunar simulant that will satisfy the needs of all projects. NASA's Approach to Simulants: Just as LSII's activities are being implemented through a combination of unique NASA work and public-private partnerships, NASA will work with commercial simulant providers to acquire simulants that meet NASA's needs. If warranted, NASA will develop simulants using government agencies, as was done with the NASA/USGS Lunar Highlands Type (NU-LHT)series of lunar simulants [3].NASA is also collaborating with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory(JHUAPL) Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) in the development and characterization of lunar simulants [4]. Within NASA, a small team (< 10 people) is coordinating simulant activities across the agency, with team members located at several NASA centers. The overall objective of the project is to procure lunar simulants in sufficient amounts for earth-based testing of subsystems and systems in a variety of environments (i.e., laboratory, high-bay, thermal-vacuum chambers), required for Artemis missions to the Moon, as well as other missions carrying NASA lunar payloads, such as the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)program [5]. Lunar Highlands Simulant: NASA's Artemis Program is targeting the lunar south pole region for initial human missions and the Artemis Base Camp. Hence, the LSII lunar simulant project is currently focusing on the mineralogy and properties of lunar highlands regolith [6 and 7]. Plagioclase-rich rocks (e.g., anorthosite, norite) are the dominant constituent in highlands simulants, with Shawmere, Stillwater, and White Mountain anorthosites being used in commercially available simulants. However, because these feedstocks are terrestrial in nature, they include hydrated minerals, carbon-bearing minerals, and other chemical signatures that are not present on the Moon, and these minor mineral assemblages need to be taken into account when trying to understand test procedures and results. Glass Component: While much attention has been placed on the rock/mineral component of lunar simulants, glass is just as important when creating simulants. The glass component in lunar regoliths is often greater than 50% by volume [8]. This component includes impact melt glass, dark matrix breccias, and agglutinates. However, this component is difficult, time-consuming and expensive to make. Most lunar simulants, past and current, have relied on basaltic cinder as a feedstock for glass. Getting better glass components at a lower cost, particularly agglutinates and glass with an anorthositic composition is a near-term objective that the NASA simulant project is trying to address . Characterization: It is extremely important for lunar simulants to be characterized by several analytical methods. Gruener et al. [9] and JHUAPL LSIC [10] conducted initial assessments of some of the commercially available simulants in 2019 and early 2020, before the global pandemic. Further analyses are needed to better quantify important parameters such as, modal mineralogy and glass content, particle shape, and particle size distribution. These quantified results can then be used in determining figures of merit (FOM) that show how well simulants compare to lunar regolith [11 and 12].

J E Gruener↗
NASA NTRS2007

Lunar Surface-to-Surface Power Transfer

A human lunar outpost, under NASA study for construction in the 2020's, has potential requirements to transfer electric power up to 50-kW across the lunar surface from 0.1 to 10-km distances. This power would be used to operate surface payloads located remotely from the outpost and/or outpost primary power grid. This paper describes concept designs for state-of-the-art technology power transfer subsystems including AC or DC power via cables, beamed radio frequency power and beamed laser power. Power transfer subsystem mass and performance are calculated and compared for each option. A simplified qualitative assessment of option operations, hazards, costs and technology needs is also described. Based on these concept designs and performance analyses, a DC power cabling subsystem is recommended to minimize subsystem mass and to minimize mission and programmatic costs and risks. Avenues for additional power transfer subsystem studies are recommended.

Kerslake, Thomas W.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Strategies for Ground Testing of Manned Lunar Surface Systems

One of the primary objectives of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration is the creation of a permanently manned lunar outpost. Facing the challenge of establishing a human presence on the moon will require new innovations and technologies that will be critical to expanding this exploration to Mars and beyond. However, accomplishing this task presents an unprecedented set of obstacles, one of the more significant of which is the development of new strategies for ground test and verification. Present concepts for the Lunar Surface System (LSS) architecture call for the construction of a series of independent yet tightly coupled modules and elements to be launched and assembled in incremental stages. Many of these will be fabricated at distributed locations and delivered shortly before launch, precluding any opportunity for testing in an actual integrated configuration. Furthermore, these components must operate flawlessly once delivered to the lunar surface since there is no possibility for returning a malfunctioning module to Earth for repair or modification. Although undergoing continual refinement, this paper will present the current state of the plans and models that have been devised for meeting the challenge of ground based testing for Constellation Program LSS as well as the rationale behind their selection.

Beyer, Jeff↗