William E. Larson

Progress Made in Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization under NASA's Exploration Technology and Development Program

AbstractIncorporation of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) and the production of mission-critical consumables for propulsion, power, and life support into mission architectures can greatly reduce the mass, cost, and risk of missions, leading to a sustainable and affordable approach to human exploration beyond Earth. ISRU and its products can also greatly affect how other exploration systems are developed, including determining which technologies are important or enabling. Although the concept of lunar ISRU has existed for more than 40 years, the technologies and systems had not progressed much past simple laboratory proof-of-concept tests. With the release of the Vision for Space Exploration in 2004 with the goal of harnessing the Moon’s resources, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the ISRU project in the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) to develop the technologies and systems needed to meet this goal. In the 5 years of work in the ISRU Project, signific...

NASA In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Project: Development and Implementation

The establishment of sustained human presence on the Moon for science and exploration combines the design, integration, and operation challenges experienced from both the short Apollo lunar missions and the build-up and sustained crew operations of the International Space Station (ISS). With the goal of establishing a lunar Outpost on the Moon to extend human presence, pursue scientific activities, use the Moon to prepare for future human missions to Mars, and expand Earth’s economic sphere, a change in how both the Apollo and ISS Programs were planned and executed is required for this new international lunar exploration program. Since the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) was released in 2004, NASA, in conjunction with international space agencies, industry, and academia, has continued to define and refine plans for sustained and affordable robotic and human exploration of the Moon and beyond. One area NASA is developing that can significantly change how systems required for sustained human presence are designed and integrated, as well as potentially break our reliance on Earth supplied logistics, is In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). ISRU, also known “living off the land”, involves the extraction and processing of local resources into useful products. In particular, the ability to make propellants, life support consumables, fuel cell reagents, and radiation shielding can significantly reduce the cost, mass, and risk of sustained human activities beyond Earth. The ability to modify the lunar landscape for safer landing, transfer of payloads from the lander to an outpost, dust generation mitigation, and infrastructure placement and buildup are also extremely important for longterm lunar operations. Because ISRU hardware and systems have never been demonstrated before, NASA is examining how these capabilities can be added into mission designs and plans such that lunar mission success is currently not relying on these capabilities, but that the systems developed are flexible enough to incorporate the capabilities once they have been demonstrated. With this in mind, the ISRU Project within the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) has initiated development and testing of hardware and systems in three main focus areas: (1) Regolith Excavation, Handling and Material Transportation; (2) Oxygen Extraction from Regolith; and (3) ISRU Precursor Activities. To minimize cost and ensure that ISRU technologies, systems, and functions are integrated properly into the Outpost, technology development efforts are being coordinated with other ETDP development areas such as Surface Mobility, Surface Power, Life Support, EVA, and Propulsion, as well as outside government agencies, industry, academia, and International Partners to the maximum extent possible to leverage funding and increase commonality of hardware at the Outpost. Lastly, laboratory and field system-level tests and demonstrations will be performed as often as possible to demonstrate improvements in: Capabilities (ex. 1 ISRU Project Manager for ETDP, EP, and AIAA Member 2 Chief, Applied Science Division, KT-D-2, and AIAA Member 3 ISRU Lead for Excavation, MS 77-5, and AIAA Member 4 Deputy for ISRU Development Support, VP33, and AIAA Member AIAA SPACE 2008 Conference & Exposition 9 11 September 2008, San Diego, California AIAA 2008-7853 Copyright

The In-Situ Resource Utilization Project Under the New Exploration Enterprise

The In Situ Resource Utilization Project under the Exploration Technology Development Program has been investing in technologies to produce Oxygen from the regolith of the moon for the last few years. Much of this work was demonstrated in a lunar analog field demonstration in February of 2010. This paper will provide an overview of the key technologies demonstrated at the field demonstration along with the changes expected in the ISRU project as a result of the new vision for Space Exploration proposed by the President and enacted by the Congress in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010.

PISCES: Developing New Design, Materials, and Technologies for Sustained Human Presence on the Moon and Mars

PISCES, the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, is being developed on the Big Island of Hawaii as an integrated research facility and simulated lunar settlement for the purpose of developing new technologies needed for a sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars. PISCES was created by the University of Hawaii under the auspices of the Japan-US Science, Technology and Space Applications Program (JUSTSAP), and has recently been funded by the State of Hawaii through the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT). This new center will be built on partnerships between industry, academia and the governments of spacefaring nations, adopting a model that has seen wide success in such programs as the NASA Research Partnership Centers (RPCs), the NASA Robotic Engineering Consortium at Carnegie Mellon University, and numerous programs within NIST, the Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation. In addition to its research and development mission, PISCES will function as an education, research and technology development center; a training center for astronauts, scientists, K-12 and university students; and a public outreach resource for local residents and tourists to experience the multitude of scientific, educational and economic benefits that space exploration could bring to Hawaii. New technologies developed in PISCES and at universities and industries around the world will require testing in an environment simulating as closely as possible that found on the Moon. Several nations plan robotic exploration missions to the Moon in the next few years, and PISCES will be an important proving ground for hardware developed through collaborative projects in science and technology. To validate space operations, new system architectures, designs, materials and mechanisms had to be developed, such as a robotic vehicle called ATHLETE (the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed, Extra-Terrestrial Explorer), and materials had to be utilized from space. This ATHLETE vehicle concept is capable of efficient rolling mobility on moderate terrain and walking mobility on extreme terrain. Each limb has a quick-disconnect tool adapter and associated tools so that it can perform general-purpose handling, drilling, scooping, assembly, maintenance and servicing tasks using any or all of the limbs. Each of ATHLETEs 6-degree freedom limbs is equipped with non-pneumatic, lunarappropriate, compliant wheels to enable rolling mobility in soft soil. Also, new ISRU materials and designs had to be developed to accommodate the space environment to sustain human settlements, deal with moon dust, and ensure very long-duration operations. Astronauts embarking on exploration missions and long stays on the Moon will need training in the use of these new technologies to free themselves from the drudgery of routine chores and to increase their time for scientific and technological achievements. This paper describes the PISCES development plans, particularly in the areas of In-Situ Resource Utilization, Robotics and Education and Outreach.