Acquisition of Moon Oxygen Resources
- Paper number
IAC-07-A3.I.A.12
- Author
Dr. Oliver Romberg, OHB-System AG, Germany
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Space Exploration is currently becoming a substantial topic in all space fairing leading nations. After the ESA ministerial council in December 2005 the Agency and its contributing countries have initiated a Space Exploration Programme. This programme considers also unmanned flights to Mars and a return to Moon. Here, exploitation of lunar resources, i.e. oxygen, helium and hydrogen are essential for future exploration missions.
Oxygen is the major propellant for rockets. Oxygen depots on Moon will lead to more cost effective space missions, since its transport from Earth to Moon requires an extensive and costly mass transport and logistic. Lunar regolith consists of about 45 weight% of oxygen, which processing will be mandatory for future space exploration especially regarding propulsion aspects.
The paper describes the brand new results from the regional funded project AMOR (Acquisition of Moon Oxygen Resources) within the ERA-STAR Regions Programme (ESR). ESR is a coordination action under the ERA-NET scheme of the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission. Within AMOR a community of specialists plans to built and operate a demonstration plant in South of Spain, where sufficient solar energy for the oxygen extraction process is available. The process is based on the reduction of Ilmenite (FeTiO3) at a temperature of about T = 1000°C using solar heat. For the feedstock a volcanic lunar soil simulant is used, which will be collected with a robotic unit, facing the following challenges: a) lunar regolith consists of interlocking dust-like particles in a highly compacted soil, which requires high penetrating forces and special bearing techniques. b) the collection-unit has to be light-weight, energy-efficient and autonomously controllable.
Currently the conception design process for the three modules of the plant is running: the regolith robotic collection unit, the process chamber and the oxygen post processing and storage unit.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-A3.I.A.12.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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