Living on the Moon Why, Where, When, Who, How

Professor Alan Smith Director Space Domain

Space and Climate Physics UCL UCL

NASA

NASA

Why? Why? NASA

Why?

Why?

Why? NASA

Because it’s in our nature Why?

Why

• Lunar science • Life sciences from on the Moon • Other science on the Moon • Astronomy • A haven from a damaged Earth • A vehicle for international collaboration • A vehicle for economic and technological

progress • A stepping stone to Mars • Because its there

Where?

Apollo NASA

P

Where?

Permanent or Semi-Permanent Living on the Moon

Power Water Mineral Resources

The Sun

Polar Ice

Lunar material

Where?

ESA Lunar Lander Concept

Moon 1.5o

Earth 23.5o

Shackleton

Shoemaker

Faustini

Hayworth de Gerlache

Bussey et al, 2010 Kaguya laser altimeter

Where?

NASA LRO

Where?

NASA LRO

• 1994: Lunar Prospector • 2003: Smart-1 • 2007: SELENE (Naguya) / Okina / Ouna • 2007: Chang’e 1 • 2008: Chandrayaan-1 / MIP • 2009: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter • 2009: LCROSS • 2010: Chang’e 2 • 2011: Ebb / Flow • 2013: LADEE • 2013: Chang’e 3 / Yutu • 2014: Manfred Memorial Moon Mission • 2018: Queqiao / Longjiang-2 • 2018: Chang’e 4 / Yutu-2 • 2019: Chandrayaan-2

Who?

Successful Lunar Missions

Since 1994

Artemis

By NASA

Space Launch Systems, SLS

Boeing

Who?

How?

How?

Gateway Orbit Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit Special case of a L2 orbit

2024?

When?

How?

Phase

• Precursor

• Pioneering

• Consolidation

• Settlement

How?

‘Start with the end in mind’

Phase

• Precursor

• Pioneering

• Consolidation

• Settlement

How?

Artemis

LRO +

Pilot Power Plant Pilot Resource Plant Pilot Regolith moving equipment Lunar Base Construction Shack

Will NASA’s Artemis programme turn into Apollo 18?

Elements

• Landing and Launch

• Power Plant

• Habitation

• Transport

• Resource extraction

• Resource processing

• Laboratory

How?

Issues

• Sustainability • Dust • Radiation • Human Safety

• Low technological maturity of almost every aspect

How?

Dust

• Abrasive

– Rubbing

– Equipment wear

– Viewing surfaces

• Electrostatic

• Vacuum seals

• Irritant

• Difficult to remove

– E.g. from Velcro fasters

• But, Equipment needs to be:

– Safe and reliable

– Low maintenance

– Easy to repair

– Low mass

How?

NASA

NASA

How? Space Suits

• Apollo: 88 kg • ISS: 285 kg

• 0 g =/= 1/6th g

• Apollo suits not good for

long duration – Wear – Uncomfortable – Tiring – Bulky

NASA

Two possible routes

• Human pioneers who build the infrastructure ready for consolidation and settlement

• Robotics and AI used increasingly to replace human presence of the surface

• Largely robotic assembly with controllers either on the Moon (in relative safety) or Earth

• Permanent human presence follows

How?

Concept of Operations

• Humans live mostly below the surface

• Much work is performed either autonomously or through local tele-robotics

• Some is performed by tele-robotics from the Gateway or from the Earth

How?

Whys

• Lunar science • Life sciences from on the Moon • Other science on the Moon • Astronomy • A haven from a damaged Earth • A vehicle for international collaboration • A vehicle for economic and technological

progress • A stepping stone to Mars • Because its there

Thank You

Professor Alan Smith Director Space Domain

Space and Climate Physics UCL UCL