Betty
Donelly
23,
Fazantenlaan
1930
Zaventem
Belgium
Phone:
+32 27251890
Betty
Donelly Productions
BDP
The Moon base book
by Betty Donelly
Table of contents
Introduction
Necessary Hardware
Lunar Robotics Workstation sets up the Human Base
Core
Moon Base Operations
Base Expansion
Mission Safety
Humans in space require a special human touch
- Introduction
Why do-it-yourself can be a bad idea.
Let me start by explaining why i believe that, within the 2065 vision, establishing a modular way of doing things in space is so beneficial for all parties involved.
Wouldn’t it be easy and elegant for space mission designers to be able to simply pick components from a catalogue? It sure beats DIY. It would be much cheaper as well. One clear benefit, easily design entire low cost space missions.
Another obvious benefit is that by making possible the modular approach, new space entrepreneurs, potential investors or even students of space universities will be more likely to put their money and efforts in realising their dreams, because they will be extremely motivated considering that realising a mission becomes feasible.
So the lower cost and ease of mission design play a huge role in motivating and inspiring new generations of space people, which will benefit the new space economy which will finally be able to catch up on the time wasted so far.
Let me illustrate the modular design with an example:
By using modular components and universal standards, a company can decide on building a multi-purpose modular transfer space vehicle comprising only the most basic components to actually fly the ship. Once the design is finished and a prototype is built, the space vehicle can then be produced on-demand by this one company.
Other companies can provide additional modules that attach to the space vehicle. A crew module, cargo/payload container or a customised scientific experiments module can easily be added, whatever suits the mission.
That’s the idea behind a modular approach and it can be extended to many areas in space design and construction.
Envisioning a future extending some 50 years into the future is an idea I got from the Integrated Space Plan (ISP) which lays out a 100 year plan and I think it works better for me because it is less restricted in options than just the plan for the privatising of Low Earth Orbit, which of course is a good plan for the really near future.
Now let’s start building a moon base.
Necessary Hardware
This project is looking 50 years ahead for space mission design, so we can plan things differently than if we want to reach our goals by say, 2025.
Of course, a plan for a Moon base by 2025 still looks good, but will be totally different in that the mission design will be more restricted considering the current state of available technologies and capabilities and the entrepreneurial climate for space affairs.
In the 2025 plan, establishment of an autonomous robotics work station and a basic human presence of a 4-person crew on the Moon could easily be realised. Robotic activity, in-space resource utilisation (ISRU) and science will provide the main activities. But in the 2065 plan these robots will have paved the way for a more substantial permanent human presence on the lunar surface by building the necessary infrastructure while crews settle down to perform much more elaborate activities.
The autonomous Lunar Robotics Workstation (LRW) is very likely to inspire and motivate a new generation of people eager to get involved in the business of space exploration. This will induce a significant growth in private entreprise space related activity. As such, with more space companies coming online, it will become feasible to build a basic in-space infrastructure which will lay the foundation for privately as well as government funded exploration and utilisation of resources found within the entire solar system.
It is obvious that such an ambitious plan will spark and keep ablaze the fire in the souls of everyone involved in the new space economy.
By using technologies that exist today like NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), which is a heavy-lift vehicle, or by other, private entreprise launch systems it becomes feasible to start implementing these ideas for a basic in-space infrastructure within a moderate time-frame.
It will not only allow for a permanent settlement on the Moon, but will eventually also lead to the colonising of Mars and resource utilisation throughout the entire solar system.
This infrastructure will strongly depend on a universal crew and cargo transportation system. It will include launch systems to carry crews and huge payloads into Earth’s orbit, in-space propulsion,
structures for assembly work, multi-purpose modular universal space transfer vehicles (MMU-STV) and staging stations from which crewed or cargo missions can be deployed.
The first manned space trips to the Moon since the Apollo days won’t require all hardware presented here, but I propose that for the long term, several robust emplacements, combining some key elements into one single unit, be placed at strategic locations across the solar system.
The perfect example for a universal crew and cargo transportation system is a staging station docked to several stand-alone facilities such as a refueling and cargo depot for storage and transfer of universal propellant/payload containers, possibly interfacing with a cradle for space vehicle support and deployment by means of a spaceship loading/unloading exchange system, using robotic extensions to grapple the containers and a rotation system to move the containers from the cradle to the spaceship or depot.
Such a staging station can then be replicated by structures for in-space assembly and when deployed at key orbital destinations around other heavenly bodies such as the Moon, Mars, near-Earth asteroids or the Iovian planets and their moons, these staging stations allow for crew autonomy since fewer resupply missions will be necessary.
The assembly structure, cradle and refueling depot are genuine space vehicles in itself and can thus be deployed as single units or as part of a larger station wherever they are needed.
Spider-like robots with multiple extension arms can spit out solar cell blankets and truss structures via a process akin to 3D printing using metals and other materials produced from in-space natural resources such as asteroids by a method called in-situ resource utilisation or ISRU.
The resulting trusses can be used to create larger units which can be assembled into any kind of space infrastructure by a facility for in-space assembly.
This vision for modular space design makes it easier and more cost-effective to build stuff in space without having to launch from the ground using ultra-expensive chemical rocket technology so it will give the new space economy an enormous forward boost and will encourage and inspire legions of new generation space enthusiasts.
Other necessary hardware to set up a base:
- In-situ resource utilisation or ISRU for construction,
assembly and manufacturing.
ISRU is a method for the extraction, processing and production of consumables for fuel and human consumption, and for the creation of building materials from local resources that can be found on planetary surfaces or asteroids and comets.
Identification of ISRU resources is achieved through reconnaissance, prospecting and mapping of the destination, and once suitable destinations have been picked, the processes of
resource acquisition:
Once one or more locations have been identified by a process of reconnaissance, prospecting and mapping, and sample analyses have been conducted, the actual collection, extraction, processing, storing and recycling of raw in-situ resources should be done by an automated system of ISRU-plants as well as human/robotic interaction.
A dedicated toolkit for resource acquisition is required and regolith and rock collection, atmosphere acquisition and material scavenging, i.e. the recycling and reuse of old, unused or broken hardware, scrap materials, consumed propellant, etc will yield feedstock storage of raw materials for later use in consumable production, manufacturing and infrastructure emplacement.
Consumable production:
Several consumable production processes, components and technologies are needed to successfully manage all resource inputs such as solids, fluids and gases.
Once produced, the consumables require proper management for handling and storage so that products don’t get expired and remain safe for consumption and use.
Manufacturing and infrastructure emplacement:
The regolith, metals, gases, plastics and glass, etc, acquired from local resources are turned into useful building materials for new infrastructure construction and assembly, so that fewer expensive launches from Earth are needed.
This increases mission safety and success as this method is far less dangerous than having to launch heavy payloads into Earth orbit, transfer them to the Moon and have them descend to the lunar surface.
A variety of manufacturing technologies like 3D printing, regolith heating and solidification, solar and thermal energy, binders, adhesives, covers and excavation equipment will allow for the construction of landing pads, roads and berms, habitat structures, garages and other infrastructure to reduce dust contamination, and for the protection of spacecraft and humans from blast ejecta.
Environmental protection such as radiation shielding and solar storm shelters and translation aids to provide easy mobility around the base is equally necessary.
Resource identification, in particular imaging and destination and sample characterisation and analysis will lead to a better understanding of mission- and life-sustaining materials.
In order to determine id a specific destination is worth pursuing, dedicated instrumentation and sensors should be used, including penetrometers, compaction/density/flow instruments, scoops and (coring) drills to collect small samples that can be investigated for their geo-technical and physical properties, their mineralogy and chemical compositions, dust sensitivities, hazardous materials and so forth.
New advances in resource identification capabilities and in particular sample analysis will revolutionise a variety of commercial industries, such as the mining and pharma sectors.
A noteworthy and remarkable example of ISRU put into practice is Deep Space Industries, a very promising young company pursuing the goals of mining asteroids.
Advanced human mobility
New surface exploration tools for sample acquisition and in-situ analysis as well as equipment that attaches to a space suit (cameras, task-specific devices and safety gear) are needed for successful lunar EVA operations.
Base efficiency, mission safety and crew effectiveness will be enhanced by using tools including mobility aids such as EVA tools and translation aids (translation in this context means moving about in a space environment) to safely translate on the surface, and other conveyance aids to enable movement of larger assets, gear that reacts to forces and loads and astronaut restraint tools so they can safely work in a reduced gravity environment.
There will be a need for land vehicles and propulsive as well as non-propulsive aerial travel systems.
The construction of a rail system and later, once the lunar based is established, the building of a more permanent infrastructure of roads, berms, landing pads and the like will facilitate crew and cargo transportation.
EVA mobility should offer quick access to a safe haven in case of an emergency and a new alternative airlock solution should be developed. This could take on the form of a suitlock system, suitports or an advanced airlock system and should provide protection from and mitigation of dust and other contaminants.
A suitlock system integrates an environmentally protective space suit with a pressurised vessel sealing surface and is directly accessible from inside the pressurised habitat or vehicle for easy entry and egress by the astronaut.
Such an alternative to the traditional existing airlock system, which loses a lot of breathable atmosphere during each depressurisation, reduces pre- and post EVA time and doesn’t require the full crew to step outside.
Required technologies include dust-tolerant and -resistant mechanisms and (inflatable) seals, integrated quick disconnect umbilicals, gas supply sensors and lightweight, high-strength, dust-resistant and extreme temperature tolerant materials, efficient air recovery pumps, dust-proof electrical, oxygen and water connectors between the pressurised vessel and the space suit and manufacturing techniques.
Surface mobility
Rover component improvement is needed as well as wheel component development and similar high-duty subsystems are required for long-life ( approximately 10,000 km) pressurised and non-pressurised rover systems which will be able to carry up to one hundred times their own weight.
These rovers must be able to move around in loose soil with uneven or uncertain terrains. So better performance predictions here on Earth should influence new rover designs, such as evolving to wheel-on-limb models to provide multifunctionality for automated operations and to minimise crew EVA time.
Interdependencies with robotics, tele-robotics and autonomous systems are required.
To navigate and access short to moderate distances in extreme land features like craters for instance, dedicated hoppers (fueled lunar explorers that hop instead of drive) can be used for crew and cargo transportation.
Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) will make use of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) for propulsion and hazard identification and avoidance.
Off-surface mobility
Atmospheric buoyant transportation such as balloons or other deployable airships offer volume and mass reduction to increase payload size.
Atmospheric fliers like gliders and wingsuits are another way to move around, but the most immediate option is probably the development of a Human Maneuvering Unit (HMU) or jetpack to move around in areas not accessible otherwise.
These off-surface mobility systems should be safe and easily refueled and stowed, should be able to ferry crew and cargo over longer distances and shoulld use a number of docking and berthing options with other vehicles or modules on- or off-surface.
– Smart Habs with life support and medical systems, autonomous and intelligent systems, advanced communications, integrated habitat systems and capable of habitat evolution.
– Environmental protection: Thermal, radiation and UV light, micro-meteoroids and orbital debris, and lunar dust.
– Bio-technology.
– A vision installation. (cameras, photography)
Logistics, maintenance and repair systems:
The purpose behind the required technologies for the overarching area of sustainability and supportability is to increase crew autonomy and self-sufficiency of the lunar base on one hand, and to reduce cargo mass for logistics transfer and resupply missions from Earth or Low Earth orbit (LEO) to the Moon on the other.
1. Logistics
A centralised depot will house propellants, life support consumables and energy and will use zero-loss, low mass and volume storage and a long term autonomous and semi-autonomous storage, recycle and distribution system to minimise consumable losses.
Reuse and recycle technologies designed for multipurpose use include propellant scavenging, repurposing of spacecraft systems, components, tools and techniques as well as proper waste and trash management to produce other useful products.
Food production and preservation technologies not only save significant mass but increase astronauts’ psychological outlook and morale by being able to consume fresh foods during long duration missions.
2. Maintenance
An affordable and sustainable human space exploration program will benefit from technologies to perform routine system evaluations, preventive maintenance and corrective actions to systems or subsystems.
Intelligent and smart systems enable self-monitoring and diagnostics, self-testing and self-configuring hardware and software to allow for integrated management of habitats, crew vehicles and other mobility systems, power- and ISRU systems and an overall integrated system health management (ISHM).
Non-destructive evaluation and analysis (NDE & analysis) enables both intrusive and non-intrusive evaluation before, during and after maintenance and repair tasks. When applied to human space exploration systems, NDE & analysis covers technologies such as pressurised vessel structure integrity, pressurised system leak detection, human mobility system diagnostics and checkout, maintenance and repair tools and tasks and in-situ manufactured parts and components verification and certification before use.
Other required maintenance technologies are autonomous and semi-autonomous systems for robotic maintenance and destination-specific environmental and human activity related contamination control and clean-up.
3. Repair systems
Technologies required for repair systems include “wear and tear” repairs, minimally intrusive or non-intrusive repairs, autonomous robotic repair systems and development of advanced materials and processes to perform passive repairs where no human or external source intervention is needed (e.g. self-healing) and active repairs which require some human or external source intervention (e.g. welding)
System reconfigurability and reusability of hardware and software allows for reconfiguration of the overall integrated system to isolate the specific area that needs repair without affecting the availability and smooth continued operation of the entire system.
Self-monitoring advanced materials with integrated nanosensors can detect stress, fracture or cracks for early repair indication.
Design of repair systems should allow for minimally intrusive repairs as well as for reusability of non-critical components to repair failed mission critical systems or components.
Lunar Robotics Workstation sets up the Human Base Core:
Before humans can settle down on the lunar surface,
robotic precursor missions will pave the way by building a shielded
habitat consisting of a dome like inflatable structure with 4 central
pillars to house a water protected solar storm shelter and a rigid
metal airlock.
ESA’s concept for 3D-printing a lunar base.
During the initial mission, a cargo lander will deliver a module containing the inflatable, as well as a 3D printing robot. The inflatable will be unpacked next to the rigid module, which will serve as an airlock once the habitat is in use.
The robot will melt moon dirt or regolith, and add chemicals to it to first create ‘paper’ to print on and then ‘ink’ to print with so that a protective layer of shielding is printed onto the inflatable dome to protect against solar radiation and micro-meteoroids.
In later stages, the initial base core can be expanded with multiple identical domes to form a full fledged human outpost for conducting science, in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) for local use and commercial export and even space tourism. Such identical bases can then be deployed at other lunar locations.
A lunar robotic workstation (LRW) can be universal in nature or can be customised for specific locations and uses adding machinery and robots as needed.
A LRW will probably consist of a 3D printing robot, a solar cell creating robot, able to generate entire fields of solar energy farms, spider like robots with multiple extension arms, some of which can grapple stuff while others will contain 3D printing nozzles, logistics autonomous rovers to move around large quantities of regolith or other products derived from local resources, one large robotic arm with several degrees of freedom akin to the Canadarm2 on the international space station and basically all necessary robotic and mechanical machinery needed for manufacturing, construction, assembly and generally infrastructure emplacement.
The LRW will be able to create entire moon bases and outposts including protective garages for rovers and other equipment, landing pads, roads and berms, a translation aids infrastructure for better mobility around the base and storage capacity.
In the long run these robots will be able to self-replicate and -repair so that the LRW operations remain mostly fully autonomous.
Moon Base Operations:
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1. Science: Geological sciences, physical sciences
and life sciences.2. Repair and Maintenance:
– Autonomous and intelligent repair and maintenance operations.
– Waste and trash management.
– Human interventions in repair and maintenance.
3. EVA activities:
– EVA for destination characterisation.
– EVA for setting up new outposts.
– EVA for Prospecting for ISRU purposes.
– Scientific outposts.
– EVA-Mobility
- Human/robotic interaction.
Base Expansion:
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1. Base expansion for ISRU purposes.2. Base expansion for science purposes.
3. Base expansion for lunar tourism.
Mission Safety
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1. Crew autonomy.2. Crew training.
Humans in space require a special human touch
Coming soon.
The End
Authored by Betty Donelly
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