Using the resources of the Moon to create a permanent, cislunar space faring system
Using the resources of the Moon to create a permanent, cislunar space faring system
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利用月球资源创建永久的地月空间飞行系统
DOI：
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发表时间：
2011
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Anthony Lavoie
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文献类型：
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作者：
P. Spudis;Anthony Lavoie
我们之前已经描述了一种架构，通过创建一个具有可重复使用和可加油的飞行器的永久性太空运输系统，将人类的活动范围扩展到低地球轨道之外。在月球两极附近永久黑暗地区的冰沉积物中建立一个前哨站，收集水并生产火箭推进剂，从而使这样一个系统成为可能。我们的计划是负担得起的，灵活的，不依赖于任何特定的运载火箭或运载火箭系列。从地球上远程操作机器人资产，从当地资源中勘探、演示和生产水。这些机器人将在几年内分别推出，使该计划能够在有限和不确定的资金条件下实施。此外，循序渐进的办法鼓励和促进国际和商业的参与。人类只有在我们开始生产水之后才会到来。一旦到达那里，人类的任务就开始探索可能的、实际的和负担得起的使用风化层的潜力，用于前哨维持和发展的物质生产。人类在月球上活动的另一个目标将是实验生物系统及其在月球环境中的相互作用和表现，这与我们是否能学会如何在地球外生活的总体目标是一致的。我们随意定义的最终阶段是一个功能齐全、由人类管理的月球前哨站，每年生产150公吨的水——足以将水从月球出口到轨道推进剂仓库，并创建一个永久的、可扩展的、可重复使用的运输系统，使人和机器能够日常访问地月空间的所有地点。这种具有成本效益的架构推动了技术的发展，并建立了可持续的空间运输基础设施。通过消除从地球表面发射所有东西的需要，我们从根本上改变了太空飞行的范式。这个月球前哨站是研究实际应用技术、过程和系统的先锋，这些技术、过程和系统使人类能够有效地扩展到地球以外的地方。
We have previously described an architecture that extends human reach beyond low Earth orbit by creating a permanent space transportation system with reusable and refuelable vehicles. Such a system is made possible by establishing an outpost on the Moon that harvests water and produces rocket propellant from the ice deposits of the permanently dark areas near the poles. Our plan is affordable, flexible and not tied to any specific launch vehicle or family of vehicles. Robotic assets are teleoperated from Earth to prospect, demonstrate and produce water from local resources. These robots are launched separately over several years, allowing the program to be implemented under constrained and uncertain funding conditions. In addition, the stepwise, incremental approach encourages and facilitates international and commercial participation. Humans arrive only after we have begun water production. Once there, the human mission begins to explore the potential for possible, practical, and affordable use of regolith for material production for outpost sustainment and growth. Consistent with the overarching goal to see if we can learn how to live off-planet, another objective of human activity on the Moon will be the experimentation of biological systems and their interaction and performance in the lunar environment. Our arbitrarily defined end stage is a fully functional, human-tended lunar outpost producing 150 metric tonnes of water per year ‐ enough to export water from the Moon to orbiting propellant depots and create a permanent, extensible reusable transportation system that allows routine access for people and machines to all points of cislunar space. This costeffective architecture advances technology and builds a sustainable space transportation infrastructure. By eliminating the need to launch everything from the surface of the Earth, we fundamentally change the paradigm of spaceflight. This lunar outpost serves as the vanguard for studying the practical employment of techniques, processes, and systems that allow humanity to effectively extend its reach off-planet.