Traveling to the Moon again is a stepping stone for Mars... and Earth.
Over 50 years ago, setting foot on the Moon proved to be a giant leap forward for science and engineering. After seven moon landings, the US interest in space travel faded over the decades. Space travel began a dark age after the shuttle program was shelved in 2011. As we now set our sights on a renewed effort to land on the Moon through the Artemis program, we look toward adopting new technology from a successful mission.
NASA's final shuttle mission: STS-135 shuttle Atlantis in 2011. Image courtesy of NASA.
Lunar missions can inspire innovations in architecture, engineering, and construction practices at home by improving resource-efficient construction techniques that could make earth-bound structures more resilient, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly.
Resource Efficiency
The need to pack light for the Moon is an understatement. Traveling the 250,000 miles to the Moon is expensive at over $1M per kilogram. The more things we take with us on the journey, the harder it is to get there. New structures and establishing a lunar base are stepping stones for reaching Mars. A significant shift in thinking from NASA is from "getting to the moon and back" to a "here to stay" approach. Further, NASA defined the word sustainable as it relates to the renewed mission:
NASA has used the word "sustainable" to describe one goal for human lunar exploration through Artemis. As "sustainable" has not yet been defined in this context, we provide our working definition of "sustainable" as meaning that there are widely accepted reasons to continue human lunar exploration that justify the continued investment, commitment, and risk beyond a few missions. The reasons to continue the lunar program include ongoing scientific discoveries, investing in potential commercial development, technology development, educating the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) professionals and a scientifically literate public, and inspiring the public about our individual and collective opportunities and future. - NASA
Artemis has various flights focused on building a sustainable approach to space exploration. Lunar bases are pit stops to refuel and recharge for a longer journey elsewhere. Lunar ice will be mined to hydrate humans, and it can be separated into the components of rocket fuel: hydrogen and oxygen.
Building materials on the Moon must be sourced locally. Instead of bringing construction materials, we'll bring construction equipment and new ways to build. Successful lunar missions will emphasize resource utilization and efficient construction methods using local materials. Knowledge gained from these activities can be applied to terrestrial construction, reducing the environmental impact of traditional building practices. For instance, using lunar regolith for 3D printing structures can inspire sustainable construction techniques that minimize waste and energy consumption.
Artemis Mission Prepares for Mars, image courtesy of NASA.
Melting Rocks
Concrete is a building block for most Earth construction; it is simple and cheap. Unfortunately, cement production is also one of the most significant contributors to generating CO2 on Earth. Cement is the necessary binder in concrete that holds rocks (aggregate) and sand together, giving it compressive strength. Created by a high-temperature process, Portland Cement is made by melting rocks from limestone and clay. Decarbonizing concrete construction is currently underway at home by looking for new ways to generate the cement binder that holds concrete together.
Similarly, melting the lunar regolith into a usable material for construction on the Moon may be an answer for a permanent base. Essentially a lunar ceramic, these new materials are tiles and bricks that can be formed to turn the powdery surface into a usable infrastructure. Through a NASA design competition, the company ICON has emerged as a leader and now developer of technology to be used in these NASA missions.
Future building construction on the Moon. Images courtesy of ICON.
3D Printing and Robotic Construction
ICON's 2040 goal is to develop a space construction system involving 3D printing technology and lunar regolith. Instead of laying bricks and stacking materials, the technology melts and fuses materials layer by layer into structures. On the Moon, structures are essential for landing pads and human habitation due to the harsh environment of fluctuating temperatures, radiation, and micrometeorite protection.
Back on Earth, ICON is currently using its technology to satisfy the housing shortage by building homes robotically through their 3D concrete printing and with minimal human on-site labor. Construction technology developed for the Moon will be helpful on Earth, but combining its use with local materials that are sustainable with low CO2 emissions is still years away. As we build more sustainable structures on Earth with more locally sourced materials, the search for a cement binder that can create a new concrete better for the environment continues with urgency.
It's truly an exciting time to be an engineer. Going back to the Moon and eventually to Mars can serve as a testing ground for new technologies and practices that have the potential to address sustainability and resource challenges on Earth. The knowledge and innovations developed for the Moon can be adapted and applied to improve how we live and interact with our home planet.
GB
End Notes:
NASA's plan on a sustained lunar mission: https://go.nasa.gov/3QqWHCk
NASA's "Sustainable Definition" quote citation: 19 Human Exploration." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26522.
Comments