Strategic Plan Elements: ISRU, Analog Outpost

Mike DukeNovember 10, 2008

Importance of ISRU to Lunar Exploration• Utilizing resources on the Moon is the only way in which a

sustainable human presence on the Moon (and space beyond Earth orbit) can exist

• Lunar materials can be utilized to make propellants, gather and store energy, and fabricate a wide variety of materials for practical use at a lunar outpost

• Development of ISRU can lead to the capability to expand infrastructure on the Moon from internal resources (energy, materials, food production, etc.) to avoid expensive imports from Earth

PISCES’ ISRU Approach• The Centerpiece of PISCES will be a simulated lunar

outpost

• PISCES will investigate ISRU processes that can be used to manufacture important elements of the outpost from native lunar(Hawaiian) materials

• PISCES will utilize Hawaiian basaltic materials as materials highly analogous to the lunar regolith

• PISCES field sites on Hawaiian volcanic terrain will be used extensively for ISRU demonstrations by NASA, industry and others

• PISCES will incorporate ISRU studies into UH curriculum and will promote ISRU in education outreach activities

PISCES ISRU Strategic Plan• Support one or two ISRU demonstration projects each

year

– NASA demonstrations are underway in 2008

• Initiate ISRU research projects on energy, materials, food

– PISCES proposed to become a node in the NASA Lunar Science Institute

• Build an ISRU laboratory as part of PISCES infrastructure expansion plan

• Recruit UH-Hilo faculty in ISRU

• Introduce ISRU courses at UH-Hilo

Emphases: Energy, Materials • NLSI proposal: Lunar Human Ecology

– Explore the interactions between humans, the systems they bring from Earth, and the products made on the Moon, with all manifestations of the lunar environment, including energy and natural materials

– Improve understanding of feasibility of producing, storing and transmitting energy using natural lunar materials

– Extract “volatile” elements (particularly oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen) from the lunar regolith

– Demonstrate the capability to produce building and manufacturing materials from lunar regolith by various processes

– Produce a simulation/model of the interactions inherent in Lunar Human Ecology to guide future investigations

Team Members• University of Hawaii – Hilo– Overall coordination– Agricultural applications

• Colorado School of Mines– Materials Processing

• University of Houston– Energy Systems

• Advisory board– F. Schowengerdt, Chair– T. MacCallum, member– Other members TBD

CAMCENTER for ADVANCED MATERIALS

University of HoustonA NASA Research Partnership Center

Analog Outpost Objectives• Provide a full-scale, highly accurate prototype for a NASA

lunar outpost, for testing, technology demonstration and training

• Conduct research on a wide variety of elements that would be required to maintain a permanent human outpost on the Moon– Life support systems– Energy systems– Lunar resource utilization– Communications– Operations– Etc.

• Utilize the analog outpost as a student training and development facility

ATHLETEMobility System (2)

ATHLETEMobility System (2)

Small Pressurized Rover (SPR)

Small Pressurized Rover (SPR)

HabitationElement

HabitationElement

Common AirlockWith Lander

Common AirlockWith Lander ISRU Oxygen

Production PlantISRU Oxygen

Production Plant

Integrated Cargo Pallet (ICP)( Supports / scavenges from

crewed landers )

Integrated Cargo Pallet (ICP)( Supports / scavenges from

crewed landers ) ICP(Facilitates SPR

docking & charging)

ICP(Facilitates SPR

docking & charging)

HabitationElement

HabitationElement

LogisticsPantry

LogisticsPantry

Unpressurized Rover

Unpressurized Rover

10 kW Arrays (net)10 kW Arrays (net)

Lunar Outpost Surface Systems (December)Lunar Outpost Surface Systems (December)

2 kW Arrays (net)2 kW Arrays (net)

Requirements

• Provide high fidelity internal and external environments – Located on representative terrain– Pressurized to simulate and test ingress/egress– Representative external systems such as surface

mobility systems• Modular• Compatible with space transportation capabilities• Accessible to users and the public• Supporting facilities• Environmentally friendly and acceptable to

Hawaiian hosts

Progress• Site selection: Considering sites near the Saddle Road– Accessible to Hilo, Hale Pohaku facilities– Volcanic terrain is lunar-like– better-characterized through current field tests

• Preliminary design considerations• Elements: Habitats, Environmental control systems, agricultural enclosure, field area, simulated launch and landing pad, solar energy collection system, communications system• Environmental impact assessment

Schedule

• Schedule depends on funding– Infrastructure system development to be

supported by private and governmental funds– Included in PISCES fund-raising strategy

• Preliminary design included in coming year budget request to State of Hawaii– Using student space architects

Interaction of Analog Outpost and ISRU

• Elements of proposed NLSI research program lead toward use/demonstration in the analog outpost– Produce silicon PV energy collection systems using

lunar resources– Develop materials suitable for habitat structures,

agricultural support facilities– Extraction of volatiles from lunar regolith