The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement (Repost)

This book describes feasible human settlement of the Moon in the coming century. Small scale, tele-operated and autonomous robotic in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) projects are first, followed by electric power, communication, and transportation networks manufactured from lunar resources.

The book stresses that the envisioned "Planet Moon Project" will link the technological and cultural expertise of humanity to the virtually limitless resources of space.

Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Buzz Aldrin
List of figures
List of tables
Author biographies
Introduction
1 Lunar origins and physical features
1.1 The origin of the Moon
1.2 Physical features of the Moon
1.2.1 Mountain ranges - highlands and basin rings
1.2.2 Basins and basin rings
1.2.3 Craters
1.2.4 Maria
1.2.5 Ridges, lava tubes, and rilles
1.3 Exploration of the Moon
1.3.1 The Apollo experiments
1.3.2 Recent missions to the Moon
1.4 Summary
2 Science opportunities - engineering challenges
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Geoscience
2.2.1 Geologic reconnaissance missions
2.2.2 Field work
2.3 Astronomy from the Moon
2.3.1 Earth-based astronomy
2.3.2 Astronomy from Earth orbit
2.3.3 Moon-based astronomy
2.4 Other science opportunities
2.4.1 Cosmic radiation and the solar wind
2.4.2 Particle accelerators
2.4.3 Psychology and sociology
2.4.4 Physiology
2.5 Engineering challenges
2.5.1 Robots and tele-operations
2.5.2 Chemistry
2.5.3 Health-care challenges
2.5.4 Life-support systems
2.5.5 Mining and manufacturing operations in the lunar environment
2.6 Summary
3 Lunar resources
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Elements
3.3 The lunar regolith
3.4 Water
3.5 Sunlight
3.5.1 Sun-synchronous operations and “Magellan routes” of discovery
3.6 Vacuum
3.7 Temperature profile
3.8 Physical mass of the Moon
3.9 Topography
3.10 Sterile environment
3.11 Low gravity
3.12 Orbital mechanics
3.13 Lagrange points
3.14 Summary
4 Lunar robotic and communication systems
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Objectives
4.2.1 Continued science investigations
4.2.2 Continuous operations
4.2.3 Mining and manufacturing
4.2.4 Preparing for the return of humans
4.3 Cost and schedule issues
4.3.1 Investment consortia: interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cooperation
4.4 Bootstrapping lunar development
4.5 Robotics technology for lunar base development
4.5.1 Introduction
4.5.2 Apollo experience with robots for exploration
4.5.3 International Space Station experience: robots for science, assembly and maintenance
4.5.4 Deep-ocean experience - production robots
4.6 Technological challenges
4.6.1 Latency
4.6.2 Bandwidth requirements
4.6.3 Infrastructure requirements
4.6.4 Lunar surface infrastructure requirements
4.7 The robot assistant
4.7.1 Evaluating robotic technology for the Moon
4.7.2 Difficulty aspects
4.7.3 Benefit aspects
4.8 Pervasive subtasks and capabilities
4.8.1 Acquiring imagery
4.8.2 Lessons learned from shuttle, space station, industry, and medicine
4.9 Recommendations
4.9.1 RoboTractor
4.9.2 Engineering standards
4.9.3 Incorporate a tele-robotic control mode into autonomous systems
4.9.4 Design early for robots
4.9.5 Plan ahead
4.9.6 Build a little, test a little
4.9.7 Develop robot surrogate capabilities
4.9.8 Mobility is a key
4.10 Launch vehicle capability
4.11 Conclusion
5 The first lunar base
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Lunar base site selection criteria
5.3 Mons Malapert
5.3.1 Site characteristics and mission opportunities
5.4 Initial robotic operations at the lunar base
5.5 The lunar “seed"
5.6 Candidate lunar seed: The Seleno-lab
5.6.1 Mission concept
5.6.2 Design requirements
5.6.3 Fixed-base facility
5.6.4 Design process
5.6.5 Investigation objectives
5.6.6 Operations
5.6.7 Production
5.6.8 Growth of the lunar base
5.7 Dash to the pole
5.8 Circumpolar “Magellan routes" excursions
5.9 International cooperation and commercial participation
5.10 The embryonic circumferential infrastructure
5.11 Summary
6 Return of humans to the Moon
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Precursor missions
6.3 Return of the humans
6.4 Human factors
6.4.1 The MALEO site office
6.4.2 Environmental control and life-support system (ECLSS)
6.4.3 Physico-chemical (non-biological) systems
6.4.4 Biological-biospheric systems
6.4.5 Medical care
6.5 LEA (lunar excursion activities)
6.5.1 Nomad Explorer
6.6 Growth of the first lunar base
6.7 Earth Moon transportation systems
6.8 The lunar railroad
6.9 Power towers
6.10 Rail link to the south pole
6.11 The second lunar base
6.12 Summary
7 Circumferential lunar utilities
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Lunar electric power
7.2.1 Nuclear power
7.2.2 Solar electric power
7.3 The Lunar Power System (LPS)
7.4 Circumferential utilities
7.5 Construction of the utilities infrastructure
7.5.1 Lunar telecommunications network
7.5.2 Lunar pipeline system
7.5.3 Flywheel farm
7.5.4 The Newton-Shackleton cable car system
7.6 Development of the south polar region
7.6.1 Lunar agriculture
7.6.2 Emergence of lunar cities
7.7 Summary
8 The Planet Moon
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Global development
8.3 Cislunar transport and logistics systems
8.3.1 Earth spaceports
8.3.2 The Earth orbital station
8.3.3 Cislunar vehicles
8.3.4 Lunar orbital station
8.3.5 Lunar lander craft
8.4 Lunar base port
8.4.1 Retirement and rehabilitation
8.5 The Maglev rail system
8.5.1 The Sun-synchronous railroad
8.5.2 The 345th meridian magnetic-levitation high-speed transport train
8.5.3 The ballistic cargo delivery system
8.6 Science projects
8.6.1 Astronomy
8.6.2 The quarantine and biohazard facilities experimentation
8.6.3 Hadron collider
8.7 Tourism on the lunar continent
8.8 Next-generation transportation systems
8.8.1 Earth Moon cycler
8.8.2 Tethers
8.8.3 Space elevators
8.8.4 Mass drivers
8.9 Summary
9 Governance of the Moon
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Lunar Government Organization
9.3 Lunar governance and the Outer Space Treaties
9.4 Space law
9.5 Creation of a new lunar government
9.5.1 The а-posteriori approach to lunar governance
9.5.2 The a-priori approach to a new government
9.6 Port authorities
9.6.1 The LEDA model of lunar governance
9.7 Long-Term Planning and Coordination of Lunar Science and
9.7 Development Projects
9.7.1 Lunar resource management
9.7.2 Standards for lunar development
9.7.3 Fundraising for the lunar development
9.8 Growth of the Lunar Government
9.9 Summary
10 Endless frontiers
10.1 Introduction
10.2 “Spaceport" Moon
10.3 Three emerging technologies
10.3.1 Solar sails
10.3.2 Energy transmission from the Moon
10.3.3 Solar power satellites
10.4 Exploration and development of the solar system
10.4.1 Mercury
10.4.2 Venus
10.4.3 Near-Earth objects (NEOs)
10.4.4 Earth
10.4.5 Mars
10.4.6 The asteroid belt
10.4.7 Comets
10.4.8 Jupiter
10.4.9 Saturn. Uranus, and Neptune
10.4.10 Pluto, Eris, and Sedna
10.4.11 The Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud
10.5 Robotic missions to the stars
10.5.1 The cosmic “seed"
10.5.2 Robotic missions to the Proxima Centauri star system
10.6 Human missions to the stars
10.6.1 The great diaspora
10.7 Summary
11 Conclusion
APPENDICES
A Robots on Planet Moon
A.l Robotics technology for the first and follow-up lander missions to
the south pole
A.1.1 Benefits of sending robotic lander missions to the lunar polar regions
A.1.2 Other ISRU experiments (stationary or mobile)
A.1.3 Robotic development of the south pole infrastructure
A.1.4 Robotic explorations of the lower latitudes
A.2 Robotic tasks and subtasks
A.2.1 Robotic tasks for planetary surface missions
A.2.2 Pervasive subtasks, activities, and capabilities
A.2.3 Specific high-value robotic technologies for lunar development
A.2.4 A “generic" sortie on a planetary surface
A.3 Conceptual design for RoboTractor: a multi-purpose excavating
and regolith-moving machine
A.3.1 Summary
A.3.2 Basic requirements and design elements
A.3.3 Preliminary design synthesis
A.3.4 Example development cycle for RoboTractor
A.4 Conclusions
A.5 References
В Lunar regolith properties
B.l Chemical and mineralogical differences between lunar regolith and soils on Earth
B.l. 1 Mineralogy and petrology
B.l.2 Maturity
B.1.3 Agglutinates
B.1.4 Solar wind volatiles implantation
B.L 5 Breccias
B.1.6 Glasses
B.l.7 K.REEP (K, Rare Earth Elements, and P)
B.2 Physical properties of the lunar regolith
B.2.1 Geotechnical properties
B.2.2 Grain size distribution terminology
B.2.3 Particle shapes
В.2.4 Lunar soil grain shapes and sizes
B.3 Dust
B.3.1 Electrostatic charging
B.3.2 Dust mitigation
B.4 Summary
B.5 References
С Lunar soil simulants
C. 1 What is a simulant?
C.2 Types of simulants
C.2.1 Simulants for consumables extraction experiments
C.2.2 Simulants for civil engineering experiments
C.3 Future Development of Simulants
C.3.1 Ongoing research
C.3.2 Standardized simulants
C.4 Summary
C.5 References
D In-situ resource utilization (ISRU)
D.l Power
D.1.1 Solar power cells for electricity
D.l.2 Mirrors and solar concentrators
D.1.3 Rocket fuels and oxidizers
D.l.4 Other consumables
D.2 Roads, Habitats and Facilities
D.2.1 Excavation and transport
D.2.2 Construction
D.3 Manufacturing of Other Items
D.3.1 Beneficiation
D.3.2 Processing of beneficiated materials
D.3.3 Chemical vapor deposition process
D.3.4 Manufacturing of high-tech materials
D.4 Challenges to be Overcome
D.4.1 Mineral rights and commercial use rights
D.4.2 Political issues
D.4.3 Breaking old habits
D.5 Summary
D.6 References
E Proposed processes for lunar oxygen extraction
E.l Introduction
E.2 Trade studies
E.2.1 Criswell. 1983; and Davis, 1983
E.2.2 Simon, 1985
E.2.3 Eagle Engineering, 1985
E.2.4 Woodcock, 1986
Е.2.5 Astronautics Corporation of America, 1987
E.2.6 Weaver, 1989
E.2.7 Woodcock, 1989
E.2.8 Understanding the assumptions
E.3 Summary of trade studies
E.3.1 Subsystems
E.4 Proposed oxygen-extraction processes
E.5 Gas/Solid systems
E.5.1 Ilmenite reduction by hydrogen (mare only)
E.5.2 Variants on the hydrogen-reduction-of-ilmenite process
E.5.3 Hydrogen reduction of glass
E.5.4 Hydrogen reduction of other lunar materials and lunar simulants
E.5.5 Fluorine extraction (feedstock-independent)
E.5.6 Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) reduction
E.5.7 Carbochlorination
E.5.8 Chlorine plasma extraction
E.6 Gas/Liquid processes
E.6.1 Carbothermal reduction of anorthite
E.6.2 Carbon-monoxide-silicate-reduction system
E.7 Bulk electrolysis processes
E.7.1 Magma electrolysis (feedstock-independent)
E.7.2 Fluxed electrolysis or molten salt electrolysis (feedstock-independent)
E.8 Pyrolysis processes
E.8.1 Magma partial oxidation (mare only - depends on iron)
E.8.2 Vapor-phase reduction (feedstock-independent)
E.8.3 Ion (plasma) separation (feedstock-independent)
E.9 Slurry /Solution processes
E.9.1 HC1 dissolution and electrolysis (mare only - ilmenite only)
E.9.2 H2SO4 dissolution and electrolysis (mare only)
E.9.3 HF dissolution and electrolysis (feedstock-independent)
E.9.4 Lithium, aluminum, or sodium reduction (feedstock-independent)
E.9.5 Reduction by aluminum
E.9.6 Caustic dissolution and electrolysis
E.9.7 Ion sputtering (feedstock-independent)
E.10 Process comparisons
E.ll Prototype plant designs
E. 11.1 Prototype robotic lander for ISRU
£.11.2 Suitcase-size hydrogen-reduction plant
E. 11.3 Roxygen
E.12 Sulfur and H2S hazards
Е.13 Conclusions
E.14 References
F Facilitating space commerce through a lunar economic development authority
F.l Introduction
F.1.1 Attitudinal change
F.l.2 Commercial, legal, and political challenges in lunar enterprise
F.2 Space economic development authorities
F.3 Lunar Economic Development Authority
F.3.1 How will LEDA facilitate new lunar markets?
F.3.2 How will LEDA be legally constituted?
F.4 Current endeavors
F.5 Conclusions
F.6 About the authors
F.7 Endnotes
F.8 References
G Quality standards for the lunar governance
G.l Creation of a lunar government
G.1.1 Jurisdiction
G.l.2 Purpose of government
G.1.3 Constitutional rule of law
G.2 The need for quality lawmaking
G.2.1 Quality standards for laws
G.3 Summary
G.4 References
H Helium-3
H.l Introduction
H.2 Helium-3 fusion
H.3 Regolith resources of helium-3
H.4 References
I NASA and self-replicating systems: Implications for nanotechnology
I.1 Further information
J Human factors
J.l Hazards in the lunar environment
J.1.1 Radiation
J.l.2 Lunar dust
J.l.3 Lunar gravity
J.2 Physiological needs of human habitation
J.2.1 Oxygen
J.2.2 Water
J.2.3 Food
J.3 Controlled ecological life-support system
J.3.1 Food crops
J.3.2 Waste management
J.3.3 Experiments
J.4 Psychological needs of human habitation
J.5 References
К Maglev trains and mass drivers
K.l Electromagnetic transportation
K.2 Maglev trains
K.3 Mass drivers
K.3.1 “Capture" operation of mass drivers
K.3.2 Human-rated mass drivers
K.4 Summary
K.5 References
L Development of the lunar economy
L.l Introduction
L.2 Commercial space operations
L.3 Funds for lunar development
L.4 Business operations example: The “Lunar Electric Power Company”
L.5 A self-developing lunar economy
L.6 Ethical standards
L.7 Summary
L.8 References
M Lunar mysteries
M.l Lunar transient phenomena
M.2 Lunar horizon glow
M.3 Mystery of the rusty rocks
M.4 Mystery of the Reiner Gamma magnetic anomaly
M.5 Summary
M.5 References
N Milestones of lunar development
О International Lunar Observatory/Association
0.1 Introduction
0.2 History
0.3 International, commercial, and individual support
0.4 Current progress with nations
0.4.1 Hawaii
0.4.2 Canada
0.4.3 China
0.4.4 India
0.4.6 Japan
0.4.7 Russia
0.5 Financing
0.6 Presumed facts
0.7 Richards' master plan
0.8 ILO features and benefits
P Cislunar orbital environment maintenance
P.l Abstract
P.2 Introduction
P.3 Earth orbital environment 2001
P.4 Architectural elements of the Satellite Service Facility (SSF)
P.4.1 Advanced technologies identification
P.5 A synergetic supporting architecture
P.5.1 The existing manned national Space Transportation System (STS)
P.5.2 Advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (ATDRSS)
P.5.3 The orbital debris removal system
P.5.4 An artificial gravity facility in Earth orbit
P.5.5 Lunar infrastructure development architecture
P.5.6 Spacecraft salvage operations architecture
P.5.7 Lunar environment maintenance
P.6 Mission design and operations
P.6.1 ST-1 mission operations
P.6.2 ST-2 mission operations
P.6.3 Merits and limitations
P.7 Recommendations
P.8 Economics of the satellite service facility
P.9 Conclusion
P. 10 References
Q The Millennial Time Capsule and L-I Artifacts Museum
Q.l Millennial Time Capsule
Q.2 Space Activities: A Broad Global Humanitarian Perspective.
Q.2.1 A humanitarian concept based on space activities
Q.2.2 Technologies at the threshold of maturity
Q.3 The Lunar Human Repository architecture
Q.3.1 Merits of the architecture
Q.3.2 A natural evolution scenario for the facility
Q.3.3 The case for international subsidies
Q.4 Archives of humankind
Q.5 Conclusion, Millenial Time Capsule
Q.6 L-l Artifacts Museum
R MALEO: Modular assembly in low Earth orbit
R.l Abstract
R.2 Introduction
R.3 Development of the MALEO strategy
R.4 Configuration of the Lunar Habitation Base-1 (LHB-1)
R.5 Components of the Lunar Habitation Base-1 (LHB-1)
R.5.1 The Modular Orbital Transfer Vehicle (MOTV)
R.5.2 The Lunar Landing System (LLS)
R.6 The lunar MALEO assembly and deployment of LHB-1
R.7 Principles of pre-stressed trusses
R.8 MALEO LHB-1 Structural System
R.9 MALEO: transportation loads and forces
R.10 Advantages of the MALEO strategy
R.ll The challenges
R.l2 Conclusions
R.13 Acknowledgments
R.l4 References
S Logistics for the Nomad Explorer assembly assist vehicle
S.1 Abstract
S.2 Introduction
S.3 Development of the Nomad Explorer strategy
S.4 The Nomad Explorer vehicle systems architecture
S.5 The problem with conventional extra-vehicular activity
S.6 Rationale for an alternative manned EVA system
S.7 The EVA Bell architecture
S.8 Challenges posed by the EVA Bell
S.9 Advantages of the EVA Bell system
S. 10 Advantages of the Nomad Explorer strategy
S.ll Technology for the Nomad Explorer strategy
S.12 The Nomad Explorer budget
S.13 Conclusion
S.14 Acknowledgments
S.15 References
T Beyond our first Moonbasc: The future of human presence on the Moon
T.l Beginnings
T.2 Cradlebreak
T.2.1 Cast and sintered basalt
T.2.2 Lunar concrete, glass-glass composites (GGC), and silicon
T.3 A strategy for industrial diversification
T.3.1 Paying for the things we must import
T.4 The Moon from a settler’s point of view
T.4.1 Making themselves at home
T.4.2 But they have to live underground, for heaven's sake!
T.4.3 What about the outdoorsmen amongst us?
T.4.4 Agriculture and mini-biospheres
T.4.5 One settlement, a world “doth not make”
T.4.6 Getting through the nightspan
T.4.7 The pattern emerges
T.5 The Necessary Gamble
T.5.1 Token presence or real settlement
U Lunar rock structures
U.l Introduction
U.2 Combating the lunar environment
U.3 Rock structures
U.4 Rocks-tools - uses
U.5 Technology continuum dilemma
U.6 Merits and challenges
U.7 Challenges
U.8 Conclusion
U.9 References
V Rapid prototyping: Layered metals fabrication technology development for support of lunar exploration at NASA/MSFC
V. 1 Introduction
V.2 Fabrication technologies overview
V.2.1 Fabrication processes discussion
V.2.2 Materials set discussion
V.2.3 Additive fabrication processes assessment
V.2.4 The Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technology
V.2.5 Material feasibility studies of selected materials
V.3 Conclusions
V.4 Acknowledgments
V.5 References
Bibliography
Index