via ESA
Building a lunar base would be one of the next logical steps in our exploration of the Solar System, but the survival of a future crew depends on access to a reliable source of energy. An ESA Discovery & Preparation study explored how lunar regolith – the dust, soil and rock on the Moon’s surface – could be used to store heat and provide electricity for future astronauts, rovers and landers.
Humans would have little difficulty reaching the Moon’s surface with today’s technology, but it is expensive – sometimes even impossible – to take all the materials we would need with us, especially if we want to stay for more than a couple of days. For sustainable, long-term exploration, we should instead look to local resources available at the destination. As part of this endeavour, Discovery & Preparation recently supported aerospace experts Azimut Space (formerly Sonaca Space) to investigate whether it would be possible to create ‘heat-storage bricks’ out of lunar regolith.
In space, energy typically comes via solar panels that provide almost instantaneous electricity when the Sun shines on them. But inhabitants of the Moon could expect to spend up to 16 days in darkness during the lunar night. Finding a sustainable energy solution that collects sunlight during the long lunar days and stores it for use at night is essential to make the prospect of long-term lunar habitation a reality.
Regolith bricks offer a way of storing daytime solar energy so that electricity can be produced at night; this would be vital for any humans living and working on the Moon. The stored heat could also be released directly to keep robotic equipment warm enough to function during the long hours of darkness.
“Apollo astronauts brought back small amounts of Moon rock, allowing us to create very similar ‘fake’ lunar regolith here on Earth,” explains Aidan Cowley from ESA’s Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration Directorate, who oversaw the project. “In this study, we used Earth rock with comparable properties to Moon rock, crushed into a powder until the particles matched the size of those in the lunar regolith.”
After making this powder into a brick, the team pumped energy into their imitation lunar regolith to see how well it could store heat. They also connected it to a heat engine to create electricity using the energy stored inside it.
“Any Moon-based technology would face incredibly tough conditions – long nights, temperatures ranging from -173°C to 127°C and extremely low pressures,” explains Project Manager Luca Celotti from Azimut Space. “We mimicked these conditions as best as we could to create a ‘Moon-like’ environment for our brick.”
“Using lunar regolith to store heat on the Moon would provide us with an abundance of readily-available material meaning space travellers wouldn’t need to take much from Earth. Eventually, this will enable more ambitious space missions to go ahead.”
As the imitation regolith worked well, the team would next like to make the process more efficient and scale it up to further investigate whether regolith bricks would be capable of producing the energy that would be required.
“This is just the first step towards creating an innovative and sustainable method of heat storage and electricity generation that could make it possible for us to land on the Moon,” concludes Luca.
Using local materials helps us move into sustainable, permanent exploration, giving rise to cheaper, safer and easier access to space. And lunar regolith would not only be useful for heat storage and electricity generation. This material – plentiful on the Moon – could also be used to build future habitats, as a source of oxygen or minerals, and even to make everyday objects such as tools.
Learn more: Powering the future with lunar soil
The Latest on: Lunar regolith
[google_news title=”” keyword=”lunar regolith” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Lunar regolith
- GITAI Successfully Demonstrates Lunar Manipulator and Rover in Simulated Regolith Chamberon June 6, 2023 at 5:46 am
GITAI USA Inc. (GITAI), a leading space robotics startup, has achieved a significant milestone with the successful demonstration of a GITAI inchworm-type robotic arm equipped with a tool changer ...
- This is not your Apollo moon buggy. NASA wants a new moon rover.on June 2, 2023 at 11:05 am
The “Lunar Terrain Vehicle” would play a key role in NASA’s plan to create the infrastructure that would allow a long-term human presence on the moon.
- Chandrayaan-3 Will Be Launched in July; Here's What You Need to Knowon June 1, 2023 at 4:35 am
Chandrayaan-3 will be launched in July this year, as confirmed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chief, Somnath, on Monday. The ambitious Chandrayaan-3 mission by the Indian Space ...
- Excellence in Education: East Fairmont’s ‘Plant the Moon’ experimenton May 31, 2023 at 1:08 pm
The “Plant the Moon” project is a global science experiment and research competition that challenges students to examine how vegetable crops can grow in lunar soil.
- How much damage will lunar landings do to lunar orbiters?on May 31, 2023 at 9:01 am
Multiple missions are destined for the moon in this decade. These include robotic and crewed missions conducted by space agencies, commercial space entities, and non-profit organizations. The risks ...
- Chandrayaan-3 to be launched in July this year, ISRO chief confirmson May 29, 2023 at 2:49 am
Chandrayaan-3 mission carries scientific instruments to study the thermo-physical properties of the lunar regolith, lunar seismicity, lunar surface plasma environment and elemental composition in the ...
- How a $90 million robot got fooled by the Moonon May 26, 2023 at 12:07 pm
Instead, it would soon smash into the surface, adding another crater to the pockmarked lunar regolith. Read more A look back at BTS as it became the world's top-selling act Your anxiety brings 4 ...
- How a $90 million robot got fooled by the Moonon May 26, 2023 at 11:31 am
Instead, it would soon smash into the surface, adding another crater to the pockmarked lunar regolith. Read more A look back at BTS as it became the world's top-selling act Your anxiety brings 4 ...
- google lunar xprizeon May 25, 2023 at 5:00 pm
One idea is to essentially microwave the lunar regolith (and melt it) . This should work because there’s a decent iron component in the regolith, so if they can heat it up it should fuse.
- NASA’s VIPER is leading the way for the next generation of moon roverson May 25, 2023 at 5:32 am
Regolith is the loose material on the lunar surface, including moon rocks and dust. NASA hopes that the data collected by VIPER will help to shape future missions. “Knowing where resources like ...
via Bing News
