Impact of nanoparticles during the experimental study of selected laser melting processes of regolith simulants for celestial applications
- Paper number
IAC-24,A3,IP,129,x90991
- Author
Dr. Grégoire Chabrol, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Danijela Ignjatovic, International Space University(ISU), France
- Coauthor
Mr. Victor Hayot, CNRS, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Damien MONCOQ, CNRS, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Emmanuel BELUT, Institut Armand Frappier (INRS), France
- Year
2024
- Abstract
Nations across the world are now in a race to build the first Moon base and exploit the in-situ resources such as helium 3 and lunar ice and further explore our solar system. The European Space Agency has recruited the next generation of astronauts that will go back to the Moon on the Artemis project. In January 2019, China was the first country to land on the far side of the moon, where it deployed the Yutu-2 rover. The first US lander after 50 years has reached the moon in February 2024, just after Japan and India, who landed on the moon in 2023. Combination of Additive Manufacturing (AM) and regolith, the main Lunar in-situ material resource, is offering a solution for long duration stay on the Moon. Applying Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology to build infrastructures and tools on the Moon will reduce the space transportation efforts from Earth and lower the cost of the space missions. Furthermore, AM will be a precious asset as well for companies looking into settlements for space mining of various resources. However, many challenges still lie ahead to optimize the SLM process.. Our research team has developed a powder bed SLM prototype and multiple 3D structures have been already manufactured using various lunar regolith simulants. The process conditions were optimized thanks to a numerical model developed on COMSOL Multiphysics. After the Apollo 12 astronaut, Alan Bean, became accidentally exposed to lunar regolith in 1970, the toxic effects of Moon dust and simulants have been studied. Beside printing capabilities, the attention was given to the environmental working conditions, specifically the impact of nanoparticles on health safety of the operator during the manufacturing processes. Nanoparticule measurements were performed at various stages of the SLM process to assess the risk for the operator. Guidelines for the safe operation of lunar dust simulant manipulation were written and are also presented in this study.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-24,A3,IP,129,x90991.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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