Geomechanics on the Moon. A prospecting mission architecture concept

Guerra C.; Jamanca-Lino G.; Martinez S.R.; Rezich E.; Casasbuenas I. · Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC (2022)

Resumen

Humanity will soon have a long-term presence on the surface of the Moon. To successfully execute this enormous challenge, we must produce our commodities through in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). ISRU technologies are critical to keeping the mission financially viable; however, the Moon still presents a significant challenge as much of the surface is still uncharacterized. The lunar crust is of special interest as it is covered with a layer of fine particles and unconsolidated regolith debris with potential candidate materials for extraction, including volatiles, metals, water and important quantities of Iron, Titanium, and Helium-3, concentrated in various regions. Additionally, both poles are confirmed to have deposits of ice water. Nevertheless, many technical gaps and severe uncertainty must be addressed before mining operations are established. This work sheds light on the main geomechanical parameters relevant for the exploration, extraction, and processing of critical resources, expanding on the key variables that define the soil response, including strength, porosity, bulk density, differential consolidation, and particle size distribution. The influence of these parameters is correlated with excavation rate, and haul operations applied for water ice excavation on the poles. This overview is presented under a suitable mission architecture concept, Hyperion, which consists of a rover vehicle with a payload onboard for geomechanical prospecting. This research line could serve as a mission template that can be updated, enhanced, and enriched once new data becomes available,opening a wide gate of possibilities to further develop the geomechanical knowledge of the Moon. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad Privada del Norte