Advancing Solar Sintering for Building A Base On The Moon
Imhof B, Urbina D, Weiss P, Sperl M, Hoheneder W, Waclavicek R, Madakashira HK, Salini J, Govindaraj S, Gancet J, Mohamed MP, Gobert T, Fateri M, Meurisse A, Lopez-D'Angelo O, Preisinger C (2017)
Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution
Publication year: 2017
Event location: Adelaide, Australia
Abstract
In the last few years, different concepts have been investigated in the context of building humantended bases in extra-terrestrial environments through ISRU. NASA has conducted a 3D printed habitat challenge in 2015, which put international focus on the topic. Amongst microwave sintering, contour crafting and other Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies using local resources on extra-terrestrial bodies, solar sintering has been the least investigated. In this context, the project RegoLight, sintering lunar regolith with solar light, is currently being developed.. The project has been funded through the European Commission to advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 3 to 5 and comprises five partners. Under the lead of the DLR in Cologne, Space Applications Services (Belgium), COMEX (France), LIQUIFER Systems Group (Austria) and Bollinger + Grohmann Ingenieure (Austria) collaborate to advance solar sintering technology in preparation of infrastructure construction on the moon. The project started in November 2016 and will terminate end of April 2018. This paper provides an overview of project RegoLight with regard to the projects’ main objectives: − Utilization of the AM approach for automated fabrication of building elements. A regolith simulant feeder is used in a solar furnace, under ambient conditions. − Automated fabrication of larger structures through a mobile printing head outside the solar furnace and in ambient conditions − Demonstration of producing a ‘building element’ block from lunar regolith simulant by applying the solar sintering AM approach, using a solar furnace automated setup, under vacuum conditions. 69 International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Adelaide, Australia, 25-29 September 2017. Copyright ©2017 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved. IAC-17, C2.9.13 Page 2 of 17 − Production of a ‘building element’ with a fine structure (resolution ≤ 1.4 cm) from lunar regolith simulant without bonding agent, using a solar light source under ambient conditions. − Design and validation of an interlocking building element, which when combined could be used for a variety of space architecture and mission requirements in a modular fashion − Characterization of the building elements produced (materials metrology) − Study the application of solar sintering element manufacturing in the frame of the larger picture of a lunar base architecture; also by considering concepts such as the ESA “Moon Village” The ultimate goal of the project is to help pave the way for future long duration, sustainable, crewed exploration to the moon. Projects such as RegoLight use local resources to create ecological solutions using only lunar sand and the sun to build protective shelters for humans.
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How to cite
APA:
Imhof, B., Urbina, D., Weiss, P., Sperl, M., Hoheneder, W., Waclavicek, R.,... Preisinger, C. (2017). Advancing Solar Sintering for Building A Base On The Moon. In Proceedings of the 69th International Astronautical Congress (IAC). Adelaide, Australia, AU.
MLA:
Imhof, Barbara, et al. "Advancing Solar Sintering for Building A Base On The Moon." Proceedings of the 69th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Adelaide, Australia 2017.
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