Construction of a Far-Term (2020+AD) Lunar Base
Several case studies have been performed which provide interesting insights into the design and operation of a lunar base. Yet few of these studies have addressed the specific steps which...

Mass and Energy Tradeoffs of Axial Penetration Devices on Lunar Soil Simulant
Axial penetration of the lunar surface was performed to collect soil samples with drive tubes and drill cores on the six successful Apollo missions. Although the pile-driving and drill...

Indigenous Planetary Construction Material Through Soil Modification
This paper will discuss the theory of soil modification and its potentials for producing planetary construction materials. The authors will also present the results of prelimnary experriments...

Mechanical Properties of Lunar Soil and Simulants
Investigation of the physical and mechanical properties of lunar soil carried out by the USSR and the USA; both in situ and on returned samples, has resulted in considerable information...

Structural Materials from Lunar Simulants Through Thermal Liquefaction
Thermal liquefaction that allows development of intermediate ceramic composites from a lunar simulant with various admixtures is used to develop structural materials for construction on...

In-situ Release of Solar Wind Gases from Lunar Soil
A concept is described which has the potential to perform the in-situ heating of the lunar regolith in order to release the solar wind gases. The poor thermal conductivity of the lunar...

Isotopic Separation of ?He/4He From Solar Wind Gases Evolved from the Lunar Regolith
The potential benefits of 3He when utilized in a nuclear fusion reactor to provide clean, safe electricity in the 21st century for the world's inhabitants...

Sulfur as a Lunar Resource
Sulfur on the Moon may prove to be a satisfactory replacement in some uses for lighter volatile elements and their compounds. Although sulfur is not richly concentrated on the Moon, it...

Chemical Analysis in Space Exploration: A Lunar-based Chemical Analysis Laboratory (LBCAL)
Many questions need to be answered before humans can be supported for extended periods in space - an environment inimical to terrestrial life. While some questions of a physiological nature...

Analysis of Two Lunar Oxygen Production Processes
Frequently, chemical engineers must evaluate processes, design systems, and size equipment based on a chemical or physical reaction without the benefit of laboratory data or previous industrial...

Recent Developments of the Carbotek Process for Production of Lunar Oxygen
Carbotek and Shimizu Corporation are conducting joint development work on the further development of the Carbotek Process to produce oxygen from lunar ilemnite by hydrogen reduction. The...

Hydrogen Reduction of Lunar Soil and Simulants
Carbotek, Inc., and the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) are cooperating on further development of the Carbotek process to produce oxygen from lunar ilmenite by hydrogen...

Lunar Oxygen ? The Reduction of Glass by Hydrogen
The direct reduction of volcanic glass by hydrogen has been proposed as a method of extracting oxygen from the lunar soil. Experiments using lunar simulant glasses reacted with flowing...

A Modified Sulfate Process to Lunar Oxygen
A modified sulfate process which produces oxygen from iron oxide-bearing minerals in lunar soil is under development. Reaction rates of ilmenite in varying strength sulfuric acid have...

Steady State Composition with Low Fe?+ Concentrations for Efficient O2 Production by Magma Electrolysis of Lunar Soils
Parameters are estimated for a hypothetical, well stirred, continuous-feed electrolytic cell that converts 20% of a lunar soil feedstock to O2 gas,...

Production of Oxygen by Electro-Reduction of Lunar Ores
Anorthositic Lunar ores contain approximately 42 wt. pct. of oxygen. An electrolytic dissociation of the ore can provide a rich source of gaseous oxygen with silicon, aluminum, calcium,...

Production of Lunar Oxygen, Iron, Magnesium, and Silicon by Aqueous Hydrofluoric Acid Leaching
Aqueous hydrofluoric acid (HF) processing of lunar regolith offers the versatile options of lunar iron and oxygen production by room temperature electrolysis as well as the extraction...

Materials and Structures Synergistic with In-Space Materials Utilization
The objective of this paper is to clearly demonstrate the significant advances made in recent months toward actual hardware realizations of various concepts for the utilization of in-space...

Mars Mission Designs: Comparing the Near Term Options
The benefits to be derived from manufacturing chemical rocket propellants from native resources on the Martlan surface are so great that it will almost certainly be a component of any...

Lunar Liquid Oxygen Production Facilities
Production of oxygen beyond Earth's gravity well has been shown to be an economic asset for interplanetary travel using chemical combustion propulsion. Requirements for lunar liquid oxygen...

 

 

 

 

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