Environmental Considerations for Lunar Base Engineering
Currently a large number of conceptual designs are being offered for the lunar base involving various types of structural materials and equipment for construction or resource recovery....
Extraction of Light Gasses from Mars or its Moons
The light elements H, C, N, O and S are important for propellant production and life support in space. These light elements occur on Mars, and may occur on the martian moons Phobos and...
Sintering Lunar Simulants Using 2.45 GHz Radiation
In situ sintering of lunar regolith may be useful for slope stabilization, dust control, and other applications around a lunar base. Having a knowledge of the mechanical properties of...
Carbonyl Extraction of Lunar and Asteroidal Metals
The century-old Mond process for carbonyl extraction of metals from ore shows great promise as an efficient, low energy scheme for producing high-purity Fe, Ni, Cr, Mn, and Co from lunar...
Use of Alkali Activation of Alumino-Silicates to Form Binders from Lunar Soil
The establishment of a permanently manned lunar base requires construction materials which can withstand the lunar environment and can be obtained from locally available lunar materials....
Cement-Based Materials for Planetary Facilities
The use of concrete and other materials based on a cementitious matrix is evaluated for the construction of planetary base facilities. Consideration is given to the most recent developments...
Concrete Lunar Base Investigation
Scientific and industrial operations on the moon require suitably shielded structures. Small structures for limited scientific activities may be constructed from structural elements prefabricated...
Lunar Cements/Concretes for Orbital Structures
The lunar surface is a rich source of inorganic building materials for large space structures. Lunar anorthosites can be processed into calcium aluminate cements in high temperature, high...
Concrete Production Method for Construction of Lunar Bases
If a permanent lunar base is to be built on the Moon, most of the materials for the construction would be made from in situ resources. From economic viewpoints, concrete would be the most...
Concrete Habitable Structure on the Moon
This paper presents construction methods for a concrete habitable structure on the Moon. The study was conducted on the assumption that a concrete manufacturing plant has already been...
Construction Operations for an Early Lunar Base
Construction and excavation operations performed during the earliest stages of a manned lunar base pose a unique set of problems. This paper will describe six construction tasks that are...
A Methodology for Modeling Construction Requirements for a Manned Lunar Base
Before accurate modeling and planning of a manned lunar base can be accomplished, a methodology representing the construction-and-assembly process of lunar surface facilities must be developed....
Transportation by Pipelines in Space Colonies
The use of pipelines in space colonies to transport liquid, gas, solids and even passengers is not only feasible but also desirable. For many applications, pipelines offer a number of...
Use of Non-Terrestrial Materials for Large-Scale Space Activities
As the space program matures, space construction will evolve from assembly and deployment of systems fabricated on the Earth to projects constructed from locally available resources. The...
The Role and Functions of an Analog Moon Base
Over the past two decades numerous studies, workshops and symposia have identified the rationale for and characteristics of a permanently inhabited base on the Moon. This paper discusses...
Intelligent Construction Machines for Initial Planetary Shelter Fabrication
There have been any number of artists panoramas of initial base and habitat construction on other planetary bodies, notably recently the moon. Most of these conceptual drawings assume...
A Commonality Assessment of Lunar Surface Habitation
This paper presents a commonality assessment of lunar surface habitation. Thus far, NASA has baselined the space station common module for initial lunar base habitation; however, nothing...
A Phased Approach to Lunar-Based Agriculture
A manned lunar outpost will require agricultural facilities to provide for self-sufficiency. This paper examines a three phase approach which incorporates research on crop optimization....
Extraterrestrial Applications of Solar Optics for Interior Illumination
The major purpose of this paper is to introduce a terrestrial technology that we believe has potential extra-terrestrial applications. The technology is Solar Optics, which is subdivided...
Mobile Helium-3 Mining and Extraction System and Its Benefits Toward Lunar Base Self-Sufficiency
The D-He3 fueled nuclear fusion reaction has long been recognized as one of the most attractive for generating clean fusion energy. Although aware of its virtues, fusion researchers had...
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