Extraterrestrial Resources: A Perspective from Terrestrial Economic Geology
Terrestrial mining experience indicates that the overwhelming criterion of a potentially economic deposit is its recoverable concentration of the desired mineral or element. These criteria...
Beneficiation of Lunar Rocks and Regolith: Concepts and Difficulties
Considerations of the resources which can provide feedstocks of ilmenite, glass, agglutinates, anorthite, etc. at a lunar base require an appreciation of the geology of the situation....
Mobile Continuous Lunar Excavation
The purpose of this paper is to explore the two main problems regarding current approaches to lunar mining and to recommend three candidate solutions which will be shown to have potentially...
Lunar Surface Mine Feasibility Study
This paper describes a lunar surface mine, and demonstrates the economic feasibility of mining oxygen from the Moon. The mine will be at the Apollo 16 landing site. Mine design issues...
Ropeway Material Handling Systems for Lunar Mining Sites
The establishment of permanent lunar sites will be a requirement for future space explorations during early missions into space as well as long term. During all stages it will be necessary...
On the Beneficiation and Comminution of Lunar Regolith
A major concern in the area of planning for future lunar missions and for establishing a lunar base is the selection of a chemical process for liberation of oxygen from lunar regolith...
Beneficiation and Comminution Circuit for the Production of Lunar Liquid Oxygen (LLOX)
A complete lunar beneficiation and comminution circuit has been designed that requires no air or fluid locks for feed introduction or egress, with the exception of a vapor pyrolysis station....
Transfer of Terrestrial Technology for Lunar Mining
Terrestrial mining equipment was evaluated for development of concepts and their application to lunar-based mining operations. The major operational differences between terrestrial and...
Spiral Mining for Lunar Volatiles
Lunar spiral mining, extending outward from a periodically mobile central power and processing station represents an alternative for comparison with more traditional mining schemes. In...
Lunar Mining?Surface vs. in Situ?A Comparative Study
Surface mining and in situ mining are briefly reviewed and compared. It is verified that the inherent advantages of in situ mining over surface ruining point out that in situ mining should...
Explosive Forming of Aluminum-Lithium Alloys
This paper proposes the use of explosive forming to form large, near net shape components for HLLV propellant tanks and structures in meeting this need. Combining with high strength to...
On-Orbit Robotics Assembly and Operations of a Nuclear Mars Transfer System
This paper presents an operations concept and associated scenarios for assembly in Earth orbit of a manned Mars vehicle. The assembly of a Rockwell-Spar reference spacecraft configuration...
Robotic On-Orbit Fueling of SEI Vehicles
Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) missions may involve the assembly and then fueling of vehicles in locations other than on the surface of the Earth. For example, fueling of the Mars...
Telerobotic Field Geologist: Preliminary Results of a Feasibility Study
We conducted three laboratory studies to explore the feasibility of developing a telerobot to perform planetary field geology. In all, 72 college students attempted to match each of 15...
Outpost Service and Construction Robot (OSCR)
The Outpost Service and Construction Robot (OSCR) is proposed as the prime mover of a comprehensive, synergistic approach to extraterrestrial surface construction, mining and transportation...
Robotics in SEI Terrestrial Launch Site Operations
This paper addresses work performed at Rockwell International's Space Systems Division, Downey, California. Future Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) missions will require terrestrial...
A New Era in Space Operations
The United States has embarked on a bold new course in space. We are in the process of deploying global missile defenses which promises to help realize an extended era of international...
SEI In-Space Operations and Support Challenges
The initial architectures and mission concepts for Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) are being studied to expand the manned space exploration capability. To support assessment of operational...
The Initial Exploration of Mars: Rationale for a Return Mission to Chryse Planitia and the Viking 1 Lander
The concepts behind planning a landing site on Mars are discussed. Based on the engineering constraints and the scientific objectives which will likely be imposed on the first few missions...
Operations Planning for Space Station FREEDOM?and Beyond
Automated planning and electronic execution systems offer tremendous potential for enhancing operations aboard Space Station FREEDOM (SSF). To exploit this potential, the Operations Planning...
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