Commercial Lunar Propellant Architecture:

Introduction

George Sowers

July 15, 2019

Copyright © 2019 George SowersAll Rights Reserved

SRR XX (2019)

First NASA Space Resources

Meeting (November, 1962)

“Over the foreseeable future, a most promising use of lunar substance is in the manufacture of rocket propellants, particularly of oxygen and hydrogen, for vehicles in traffic between the Earth, the Moon, and the planets.”

“Any lunar substance that can be utilized economically in base construction or planetary exploration is a resource which must be exploited at the earliest opportunity. Chief among these is water.”

“Oxygen may be the only economically available lunar resource if water is not present in particularly favorable locations.”

“Soil, which includes both coarse and fine debris on the lunar surface will be needed in many phases of base construction.”

Commercial Lunar Propellant Architecture Study

• 2018 collaborative study of lunar propellant production

• Over 40 individuals from 25 organizations

• Explored technical and economic feasibility

https://www.isruinfo.com/public//docs/Commercial%20Lunar%20Propellant%20Architecture.pdf

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https://www.isruinfo.com/public/docs/Commercial%20Lunar%20Propellant%20Architecture.pdf

• Introduction & Extraction• George Sowers, Colorado School of Mines

• Processing• Philipp Tewes, Paragon Space Development Corp.

• Power• Gary Barnhard, XISP Inc.

• Economics• Brad Blair, NewSpace Analytics, LLC

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Agenda

PROJECT INTRODUCTIONDefining the Architecture

210Mt/YR LEO

100Mt/YR LUNAR SURFACE

140Mt/YR NRHO

LUNAR CRATER

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The Team (all Volunteer)

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Economics• NewSpace Analytics

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Developing a Proven Reserve

CRIRSCO, Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards, Standard Definitions, 2012.

http://www.crirsco.com/news_items/CRIRSCO_standard_definitions_oct2012.pdf

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Lunar Ice Resource Exploration Roadmap2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

Mine dev.

Modeling

Ground truth mission(s)

Cubesat & impactor swarms

Tethered sensor lander(s)

Rover/ sampler

Technology development

Full scaleindustrial

production

Mining HW developmentDeployment & set-up

HW development

Technology demonstrations

Launch Mission Ops

Geologic modeling & resource mapping

Technology development

HW development

Launch Mission Ops

Technology development

HW development

Launch Mission Ops

Technology development

HW development

Launch Mission Ops

Technology development

Commercial Lunar Propellant Architecture:

Extraction

George Sowers

July 16, 2019

Copyright © 2019 George SowersAll Rights Reserved

• Inspired by the environmental remediation industry’s technique of thermal desorption

• Aimed at surface or near surface ice (≤ 1 m depth)

• Intended to capture the simplest, lowest cost way to begin industrial scale production of propellant

• Heat is applied directly to the material to sublimate ice in-situ (without excavation)

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Thermal Mining Overview

https://www.cascade-env.com/technologies/thermal-remediation/thermal-conduction-heating-tch/

• 2018 study by Li, et. al. indicates surface ice in concentrations of up to 30wt%

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Lunar Polar Surface Ice

Li, S, Lucey, P.G., Milliken, R.E., Hayne, P.O., Fisher, E., Williams, J.P., Hurley, D.M., Elphic, R.C., Direct evidence of surface exposed water ice in the lunar polar regions. PNAS (2018). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1802345115

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1802345115

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Lunar Propellant Mine Overview

Credit: ULA

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Capture Tent Concept

Secondary optics

Cold Trap

Sublimation

Concentrated sunlight from crater rim

Impermeable tent with reflective inner surface

Cold Trap

Not to scale

Ice hauler Ice hauler

Optional conducting rods or heating elements

• Benefits• Minimize moving parts

• Enhanced maintainability and availability

• Avoid excavation• 65% mass savings, reduced energy demand

• Minimize dust creation and dust susceptibility• Reflected sunlight avoids conversion inefficiency

• Risks• Thermal Mining effectiveness (add conducting rods or

borehole heaters)• Necessary geometry for heliostats (power beaming or

nuclear)

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Thermal Mining: Benefits

• Phase I NIAC recently awarded to further Thermal Mining concept• Survey the solar system for Thermal Mining targets

• Enhance the lunar propellant architecture

• Conduct proof of concept testing on icy regolith samples in CSM cryogenic vacuum chambers

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Phase I NIAC Award

Crushed Snow Highlands SimulantFines Ice Highlands Simulant