while we provide grants for any subject related to planning a lunar settlement, we are currently focusing most of our efforts and resources on four core research areas.
lunar agriculture
the moon is a carbon-deprived planet, and its nitrogen resources are difficult to extract. much work has been done on analyzing the efficiency of closed hydroponic and aquaponic ecosystems, but on earth carbon and nitrogen are readily available. we need to rethink the design of closed ecosystems to account for the resource limitations unique to the lunar surface.
this project involves:
- development of a closed ecosystem testing framework to analyze resource usage
- experimentation with ecosystem modifications to achieve good growth rates in the lunar environment
maintainable lunar lander design
the space shuttle and falcon 9 are both testaments to the economic and operational value of engineering spacecraft for reusability. however, no one has ever considered what reusability looks like if the vehicle needs to be serviced and repaired in space. failures of lunar lander vehicles are an inevitability when considering regular surface-to-orbit transportation and vice versa. we need to rethink the design constraints of a lander vehicle to be serviceable on the lunar surface, either by astronauts or by rovers.
this project involves:
- modularization of propulsion system components
- development and testing of module interfaces
- standardization of life support and control systems
robotics and automation
the lunar surface is a rough environment largely inhospitable to human life. minimizing the amount of eva time required for construction and maintainence activities is critical for building anything on the surface. we need to identify the limits of automation in this environment, and learn how to plan for the worst while protecting astronauts from excessive danger. there is some past work to build on for automating construction and isru activities on the surface. however, the nitty-gritty details of how to direct, monitor, and maintain a large robot fleet in a hostile environment remain mysterious.
this project involves:
- analyzing the constraints of communication systems for autonomous surface vehicles
- failure analysis for rovers and drones in the lunar surface environment
- determining the limits of autonomous operation
- experimenting with semi-autonomous fleet manamagement systems
power generation and transmission
while the moon lacks many resources important to prolonged human presence, it offers an abundance in energy. photovoltaic arrays offer high efficiency power generation and fissile nuclear material is readily accessible. the moon also lacks an atmosphere, enabling fairly efficient wireless power transmission as an interesting alternative to cable networks. we need to determine the simplest and most reliable methods for generating and transmitting power on the moon.
this project involves:
- investigation of low-cost fissile reactor designs making use of surface resources
- ruggedization of solar panel arrays for the lunar surface environment
- efficiency and failure analysis of many power transmission options