During the Apollo missions, regolith damaged space suits, and inhaling dust caused astronauts to experience hay-fever-like symptoms.Ĭonstructing Mars Dune Alpha, the test habitat in Texas, had an even bigger X factor: The human race has never brought a sample of Martian soil back to Earth, so Icon had to simulate the material, based on predictions of what it is made out of-such as that it’s rich in basalt. Abrasive moon dust can clog machinery joints and bring hardware to a screeching halt. Gravity is much weaker, there’s a chance of moonquakes that can create vibrations for up to 45 minutes, and temperatures at the south pole can get as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit in sunlight and as low as –400 degrees at night. There are other X factors to account for when building on the moon-and a lot can go wrong. To keep astronauts out of harm’s way, Edmunson says the goal is to make construction as autonomous as possible, but she adds, “I can’t rule out the use of humans to maintain and repair our full-scale equipment in the future.” How to assemble finished pieces is still being decided. The material can then be printed into desired shapes. Then it must cool to allow gasses to escape failure to do so can leave the material riddled with holes like a sponge. The first step toward 3D printing on the moon will involve using lasers or microwaves to melt regolith, says MMPACT team lead Jennifer Edmunson. ![]() ![]() Subsequent missions will focus on using semiautonomous excavators and other machines to build living quarters, roads, greenhouses, power plants, and blast shields that will surround rocket launch pads. ![]() For that mission, a robotic arm with an excavator, which will be attached to the side of a lunar lander, will sort and stack regolith, says principal investigator Corky Clinton. The team’s first off-planet project is tentatively scheduled for late 2027.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |