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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

ATHLETE as a Mobile ISRU and Regolith Construction Platform

The All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) robotic mobility platform can provide precision positioning and mobility for site preparation and regolith construction needs. ATHLETE is a multi-use platform designed to use swap-out tools and implements that can be applied to any number of tasks that need precision limb manipulation or mobility. Major capabilities include off-loading habitats, transporting surface assets, robotically assembling outposts from multiple mission manifests, and supporting science and technology objectives. This paper describes conceptual approaches for supporting NASA regolith construction research, such as additive construction, modular brick and panel factory, and mobile ISRU platform.

human spaceflight↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multifunctional End Effector for Regolith Construction, Acquisition, and Transfer (MEERCAT)

Presentation prepared for ASCE Earth and Space. Presentation covers the capabilities of the MEERCAT system with videos demonstrating con ops. The MEERCAT system specs are taken from a previously STRIVES approved flyer on MEERCAT. Presentation will not be part of ASCE Earth and Space but should still be submitted through STRIVES for use with public facing business developments.

meercat↗
NASA NTRS2017

Construction with Regolith

CLASS node of SSERVI at FSI, The Technology and Future of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): ACapstone Graduate Seminar Orlando, FL. This seminar will discuss the use of regolith and robotics in extra terrestrialconstruction.

Regolith↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Enabling Evaluation of In-Situ Regolith-Based Construction Materials with Modified Methods for Testing Compressive Strength of Non-Cement Mortar Specimens Using Simulants & Analog Site Soils

Objectives for Phase II of NASA’s Artemis Program include establishment of lunar surface infrastructure to support a sustainable, long-term human presence on the Moon. Terrestrially, awareness of climate impacts from cement and concrete production has led to renewed interest in traditional building materials using earthen and pozzolanic binders with locally sourced aggregates [1, 2, 3]. In remote, austere,and resource-constrained environments, use of site-sourced materials is often an economic necessity in addition to being valuable for local autonomy and self-sufficiency. This study evaluates modifications to ASTM cement mortar testing methods, incorporating details from European standards for earthen plasters and lime-based mortars. Development of consistent, simplified methods for evaluating in-situ materials will be essential not only for meeting future climate goals and sustainable construction needs, but also for conducting autonomous robotic manipulation and evaluation of regolith construction materials.

ISRU↗
NASA NTRS2014

3D Additive Construction with Regolith for Surface Systems

Planetary surface exploration on Asteroids, the Moon, Mars and Martian Moons will require the stabilization of loose, fine, dusty regolith to avoid the effects of vertical lander rocket plume impingement, to keep abrasive and harmful dust from getting lofted and for dust free operations. In addition, the same regolith stabilization process can be used for 3 Dimensional ( 3D) printing, additive construction techniques by repeating the 2D stabilization in many vertical layers. This will allow in-situ construction with regolith so that materials will not have to be transported from Earth. Recent work in the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Surface Systems Office (NE-S) Swamp Works and at the University of Southern California (USC) under two NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) awards have shown promising results with regolith (crushed basalt rock) materials for in-situ heat shields, bricks, landing/launch pads, berms, roads, and other structures that could be fabricated using regolith that is sintered or mixed with a polymer binder. The technical goals and objectives of this project are to prove the feasibility of 3D printing additive construction using planetary regolith simulants and to show that they have structural integrity and practical applications in space exploration.

Technology Portfolio System↗
NASA NTRS2021

Insitu Lunar Launch & Landing Pad Construction w/ Regolith and Thermoset Polymers

This CIF project is an extension of materials developed under a previous NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) project titled “Regolith Derived Heat Shield for Planetary Body Entry and Descent Systems with In-Situ Fabrication” by M. Hogue et al. (2012). Launch and landing pads are necessary to mitigate risks to lander/ascent vehicles, surface assets, and orbital assets from rocket plume ejected regolith. At this time, all launching and landing on the lunar surface will be on unprepared surface sites. Though this has been a successful approach for Apollo and other uncrewed missions, significant risks exist for the Artemis Program due to the increased thrust of the vehicles, presence of co-located assets, and potential surface level requirements for tall vehicles. This project developed a thermoset polymer–regolith composite material for use as a launch and landing pad. Test articles were prepared at 20% and 11% polymer mass percent (wt%) and tested under hot fire conditions that simulated large vehicle lunar launch/landing conditions. A minimum polymer wt% of 9% was achieved and both samples successfully mitigated regolith ejecta from plume effects. A concept for emplacing launch/landing pads was successfully tested in laboratory environments using a screw and barrel approach to mixing, conveying and depositing materials. It is recommended that materials and systems be developed to TRL 6 for a small-scale lunar demonstration of emplacement of a launch/landing pad via a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission to support the Artemis Program.

Nathan Gelino↗
NASA NTRS2014

Additive Construction using Basalt Regolith Fines

Planetary surfaces are often covered in regolith (crushed rock), whose geologic origin is largely basalt. The lunar surface is made of small-particulate regolith and areas of boulders located in the vicinity of craters. Regolith composition also varies with location, reflecting the local bedrock geology and the nature and efficiency of the micrometeorite-impact processes. In the lowland mare areas (suitable for habitation), the regolith is composed of small granules (20 - 100 microns average size) of mare basalt and volcanic glass. Impacting micrometeorites may cause local melting, and the formation of larger glassy particles, and this regolith may contain 10-80% glass. Studies of lunar regolith are traditionally conducted with lunar regolith simulant (reconstructed soil with compositions patterned after the lunar samples returned by Apollo). The NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Granular Mechanics & Regolith Operations (GMRO) lab has identified a low fidelity but economical geo-technical simulant designated as Black Point-1 (BP-1). It was found at the site of the Arizona Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) analog field test site at the Black Point lava flow in adjacent basalt quarry spoil mounds. This paper summarizes activities at KSC regarding the utilization of BP-1 basalt regolith and comparative work with lunar basalt simulant JSC-1A as a building material for robotic additive construction of large structures. In an effort to reduce the import or in-situ fabrication of binder additives, we focused this work on in-situ processing of regolith for construction in a single-step process after its excavation. High-temperature melting of regolith involves techniques used in glassmaking and casting (with melts of lower density and higher viscosity than those of metals), producing basaltic glass with high durability and low abrasive wear. Most Lunar simulants melt at temperatures above 1100 C, although melt processing of terrestrial regolith at 1500 C is not uncommon. These temperatures are achievable by laser heating or by using solar concentrators. Similar to volcanic magma, the cooling rate determines the crystallite size - slower cooling develops larger crystals, and rapid quenching can result in fully amorphous glass.

Additive↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

In-situ Lunar Launch and Landing Pad Construction with Regolith-Thermoset Polymer Composite Materials

Lunar launch and landing pads are necessary to mitigate risks to lander/ascent vehicles and surrounding surface assets from rocket plume ejected regolith. The current state of the art of landing and launching from the lunar surface is to land/launch on unprepared regolith surfaces. Though this has been a relatively successful approach, significant risks exist for the Artemis Program due to higher thrust levels leading to increased ejecta and cratering, presence of co-located assets in the ejecta path, and potential strict surface levelness requirements. Regolith-thermoset polymer composite materials were developed and evaluated for off Earth launch and landing pad applications. Performance under hot fire conditions was assessed for two simulated Starship lunar launch/landing environments, one targeting thermal conditions and the second targeting pressure conditions. Paver test articles were prepared at 20% and 11% polymer mass fractions. Sintered paver test articles were prepared with 20% polymer grouting filling the seams between pavers. Though significant erosion was experienced during the more extreme thermal testing conditions, all test articles successfully mitigated regolith ejecta from plume effects. A concept for preparing and emplacing the materials was developed and tested in laboratory conditions. The testing evaluated the feasibility of using twin and single screw extruder technology to mix, convey and deposit materials. Both the twin and single screw extruders were capable of processing and extruding the composite with a maximum of 90% mass fraction of regolith achieved by the twin screw extruder.A primary risk for application of regolith-thermoset polymer composites as lunar launch/landingpad is the mass of polymer required to be landed on the moon. Calculations were performed that show that a 100 m diameter, 0.025 m thick pad with polymer mass fraction of 15% will require a payload mass of 72 mt to the Lunar surface. This is below the planned Starship payload capacity to the lunar surface of 100 mt. The regolith-thermoset polymer composite based construction approach proved feasibility in three critical areas: performance under launch/landing conditions, demonstration of a mixing and depositing strategy, and fitting within the planned lunar payload capacity. It is recommended that materials and systems be developed to TRL 6 for a small-scale lunar demonstration of emplacement of a launch/landing pad via a CLPS mission to support Artemis Program roadmap gap closure activities.

ISRU↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

In-situ Lunar Launch and Landing Pad Construction with Regolith-Thermoset Polymer Composite Materials

Lunar launch and landing pads are necessary to mitigate risks to lander/ascent vehicles and surrounding surface assets from rocket plume ejected regolith. The current state of the art of landing and launching from the lunar surface is to land/launch on unprepared regolith surfaces. Significant risks exist for the larger landers proposed for the Artemis Program due to higher thrust levels leading to increased ejecta and cratering, presence of co-located assets in the ejecta path, and potential strict surface levelness requirements for tall vehicles.

Launch Pad↗
NASA NTRS2017

Space Resource Technologies

PowerPoint presentation for the Society of Women Engineers presented by Rachel Cox to give an overview of NASA Swamp Works, the kind of work we do, explain what ISRU (living off the land in space) is about, and highlight several projects. Projects include RASSOR the space mining robot, Resource Prospector, ALTIP, Marco Polo, and regolith construction, including heat shields and 3D printing. Content is similar to what is presented on Swamp Works tours (we get about 2,000 visitors a year) and is high level and conceptual in nature (no engineering specsdimensions.)

Cox, Rachel↗
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 NTRS2013

Three-Dimensional (3D) Additive Construction: Printing with Regolith

Three dimensional (3D) printing is a new and booming topic in many realms of research and engineering technology. When it comes to space science and aerospace engineering, it can be useful in numerous ways. As humans travel deeper into space and farther from Earth, sending large quantities of needed supplies from Earth for a mission becomes astronomically expensive and less plausible. In order to reach further to new places, In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), a project that pushes for technologies to use materials already present in the destination's environment, is necessary. By using materials already available in space such as regolith from the Moon, Mars, or an asteroid's surface, fewer materials need to be brought into space on a launched vehicle. This allows a vehicle to be filled with more necessary supplies for a deep space mission that may not be found in space, like food and fuel. This project's main objective was to develop a 3D printer that uses regolith to "print" large structures, such as a dome, to be used as a heat shield upon a vehicle's reentry into the atmosphere or even a habitat. 3D printing is a growing technology that uses many different methods to mix, heat, and mold a material into a specific shape. In order to heat the regolith enough to stick together into a solid shape, it must be sintered at each layer of material that is laid. Sintering is a process that heats and compresses a powdered material until it fuses into a solid, which requires a lot of energy input. As an alternative, a polymer can be mixed with the regolith before or as it is sent to the 3D printer head to be placed in the specific shape. The addition of the polymer, which melts and binds at much lower temperatures than sintering temperatures, greatly decreases the required heating temperature and energy input. The main task of the project was to identify a functional material for the printer. The first step was to find a miscible. polymer/solvent solution. This solution was added to the regolith and the solvent was evaporated essentially leaving polymer-coated regolith particles. This material would be sent through the printer head and heated layer by layer to melt the polymer and bind the regolith. This method was one of many in a large goal to utilize materials in space with a custom-made 3D printer that builds dome-shaped habitats and other essential equipment for future deep space missions.

Tsoras, Alexandra↗
NASA NTRS2009

The Evolution and Development of the Lunar Regolith and Implications for Lunar Surface Operations and Construction

The lunar regolith consists of about 90% submillimeter particles traditionally termed lunar soil. The remainder consists of larger particles ranging up to boulder size rocks. At the lower size end, soil particles in the 10s of nanometer sizes are present in all soil samples. Lunar regolith overlies bedrock which consists of either lava flows in mare regions or impact-produced megaregolith in highland regions. Lunar regolith has been produced over billions of years by a combination of breaking and communition of bedrock by meteorite bombardment coupled with a variety of complex space weathering processes including solar wind implantation, solar flare and cosmic ray bombardment with attendant radiation damage, melting, vaporization, and vapor condensation driven by impact, and gardening and turnover of the resultant soil. Lunar regolith is poorly sorted compared to most terrestrial soils, and has interesting engineering properties including strong grain adhesion, over-compacted soil density, an abundance of agglutinates with sharp corners, and a variety of properties related to soil maturity. The NASA program has supported a variety of engineering test research projects, the production of bricks by solar or microwave sintering, the production of concrete, the in situ sintering and glazing of regolith by microwave, and the extraction of useful resources such as oxygen, hydrogen, iron, aluminum, silicon and other products. Future requirements for a lunar surface base or outpost will include construction of protective berms, construction of paved roadways, construction of shelters, movement and emplacement of regolith for radiation shielding and thermal control, and extraction of useful products. One early need is for light weight but powerful digging, trenching, and regolith-moving equipment.

McKay, David↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Application of Regolith Polymer Composite FFF Construction in Simulated Lunar Conditions

NASA’s Artemis program has the lofty goal of creating a sustained lunar presence to provide unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery and to ensure American industry’s access to the unlimited resources and commercial potential in space. To achieve this goal, NASA must incrementally develop and expand its capabilities beyond the short lunar stays of the Apollo program to a robust continued presence with infrastructure and equipment to reduce mission risk by providing safer and more reliable access to the surface, its resources, and protection from the environment. Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations laboratory has partnered with AI SpaceFactory to develop the architectural and structural design of a robotically constructable unpressurized shelter. The shelter, called Lina is designed to protect astronauts and surface assets from radiation, meteoroid impact, moon quakes and thermal gradients. A Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) construction process using regolith polymer composites was developed. The construction system and associated print parameters are discussed along with the environmental simulation equipment and a summary of test conditions. Test samples were printed in simulated lunar dirty thermal vacuum conditions (~-180 C, ~10-3 torr) and subjected to a series of tests. The resulting strength properties are summarized here, the full details of the material characteristics are provided in a related paper. Lina’s structural design criteria and the resulting initial structure design are detailed in two related papers, this paper presents an update to Lina’s design based on the achieved material strength properties. Finally, a scaled down version of the updated Lina was built on a regolith simulant surface using a novel anchoring technique in simulated lunar vacuum conditions.

lunar infrastructure↗