Reassessing the Moon Village Roadmap
- Paper number
IAC-17,A3,IP,32,x40942
- Author
Mr. Pierre EVELLIN, International Space University (ISU), France
- Coauthor
Mr. Joost van Oorschot, International Space University (ISU), The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mr. Alexander Harding, International Space University (ISU), United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Ms. Alyssa Frayling, International Space University (ISU), France
- Coauthor
Ms. Xiaochen Zhang, Canada
- Coauthor
Ms. Melissa Fernandes, International Space University (ISU), France
- Coauthor
Mr. Sergey Ioda, ISU, France
- Year
2017
- Abstract
The Moon Village roadmap created by ESA emphases the need for definite phases to achieve a permanent Human presence on the Moon. The general steps are 1- To ensure a permanent robotic presence on the Moon 2- To send a crew to finish the preparations initiated by the robots 3- To ensure a permanent presence of a full crew on the Moon In the frame of a workshop held at the International Space University (ISU), in March, 2017, we analysed and updated the previous roadmap. The main idea remains unchanged. Robotic exploration and preparation of the site by robots are essential to the mission. Thereafter, Humans can commence construction of the first Moon Village structures. Several steps were identified to optimize permanent Human presence on the Moon. The first one is comprehensive exploration of potential construction sites to facilitate building phase planning. Thereafter, a first consignment of robots would be deployed to prepare the selected sites. These first-generation robots would not rely on new technologies but rather on tried and trusted ones. In the meantime, using for example the expertise gained by the Google Lunar XPrize, prototype construction robots, such as 3D-printers using in-situ resources, would be sent to the Moon to assess their potential. Other types of technologies such as water production or food production would also be tested. Once the sites are ready to welcome the second-generation robots - based on the prototypes previously utilized - they would be deployed to commence construction of the main infrastructures of the Moon Village. An assumption, based on familiar Earth technology, is that 80% of the entire village could be built this way. Deploying a ‘fleet’ of robots inspired by the Rio Tinto automated mines could also improve this percentage depending on the efficiency and reliability of the robotics. In this way, habitats would be built, followed by power plants, water and food production facilities and laboratories. Once a sufficient percentage is reach, the first crew would be sent to finalize the necessary infrastructures, perform maintenance on the robots and install the equipment. Then, over the years, an augmented crew would accumulate in the Moon Village, using the robots on-site to expand the infrastructures, until finally reaching up to 100 people in 2050.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)