NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19930007686: Space resources. Volume 3: Materials

334 Pages·41.3 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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Frontispiece
Advanced Lunar Base
In this panorama of an advanced lunar
base, the main habitation modules in the
background to the right are shown being
covered by lunar soil for radiation
protection. The modules on the far right
are reactors in which lunar soil is being
processed to provide oxygen. Each
reactor is heated by a solar mirror. The
vehicle near them is collecting liquid
oxygen from the reactor complex and will
transport it to the launch pad in the
background, where a tanker is just lifting
off. The mining pits are shown just behind
the foreground figure on the left. The
geologists in the foreground are looking
for richer ores to mine.
Artist: Dennis Davidson
NASA SP-509, vol. 3
Space
Resources
Materials
Editors
Mary Fae McKay, David S. McKay,
and Michael B. Duke
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas
1992
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Scientific and Technical Information Program
NASAWasninglon. DC 1992
For sale by the U.S. Government hinting Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-038062-6
Technical papers derived from a NASA-ASEE summer study
held at the California Space Institute in 1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Space resources : materials I editors, Mary Fae McKay,
David S. McKay, and Michael B. Duke.
xvi, 316 p. : ill. 28 cm. - (NASA SP ; 509: vol.3)
1. Outer space—Exploration—United States. 2. Natural
resources. 3. Space industrialization—United States.
I. McKay, Mary Fae. II. McKay, David S. III. Duke, Michael B.
IV. United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Scientific and Technical Information Program. V. Series.
TL789.8.U5S595 1992 92-4468
333.7'0999—dc2O
H
Preface
Space resources must be used to by the California Space Institute
support life on the Moon and and the Lyndon B. Johnson Space
exploration of Mars. Just as the Center, under the direction of
pioneers applied the tools they the Office of Aeronautics and
brought with them to resources they Space Technology (OAST) at
found along the way rather than NASA Headquarters. The study
trying to haul all their needs over participants (listed in the
a tong supply line, so too must addendum) included a group of
space travelers apply their high 18 university teachers and
technology tools to local resources. researchers (faculty fellows)
who were present for the entire
The pioneers refilled their water 10-week period and a larger
barrels at each river they forded; group of attendees from
moonbase inhabitants may use universities, Government, and
chemical reactors to combine industry who came for a series of
hydrogen brought from Earth with four 1-week workshops.
oxygen found in lunar soil to make
their water. The pioneers sought The organization of this report
temporary shelter under trees or in follows that of the summer study.
the lee of a cliff and built sod Space Resources consists of a
houses as their first homes on the brief overview and four detailed
new land; settlers of the Moon may technical volumes: (1) Scenarios;
seek out lava tubes for their shelter (2) Energy, Power, and Transport;
or cover space station modules (3) Materials; (4) Social Concerns.
with lunar regolith for radiation Although many of the included
protection. The pioneers moved papers got their impetus from
further west from their first workshop discussions, most have
settlements, using wagons they been written since then, thus
had built from local wood allowing the authors to base new
and pack animals they had raised; applications on established
space explorers may use propellant information and tested technology.
made at a lunar base to take them All these papers have been
on to Mars. updated to include the authors'
current work.
The concept for this report was
developed at a NASA-sponsored This volume—Materials—covers a
N
summer study in 1984. The number of technical and policy
program was held on the Scripps issues regarding the materials in
campus of the University of space (mainly lunar and asteroidal)
California at San Diego (UCSD), which can be used to support
under the auspices of the American space operations. The first of
Society for Engineering Education the three parts of this volume
(ASEE). It was jointly managed discusses the nature and location
PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT ALMi)
of these materials, exploration and America's Future in Space,
strategy, evaluation criteria, and the also emphasize expansion of the
technical means to collect or mine space infrastructure; more detailed
these materials. A baseline lunar exploration of the Moon, Mars,
mine and the basics of asteroid and asteroids; an early start
mining are presented and critiqued. on the development of the
The second part discusses the technology necessary for using
beneficiation of ores and the space resources; and systematic
extraction of such materials as development of the skills necessary
oxygen, metals, and the makings for long-term human presence
of concrete. The final part of in space.
the volume discusses the
manufacturing and fabrication of Our report does not represent any
nonterrestrial products. Considered Government-authorized view or
are the economic tradeoffs between official NASA policy. NASA's
bringing needed products from official response to these
Earth and making these products challenging opportunities must be
on location in space. found in the reports of its Office of
Exploration, which was established
This is certainly not the first report in 1987. That office's report,
to urge the utilization of space released in November 1989, of a
resources in the development of 90-day study of possible plans for
space activities. In fact, Space human exploration of the Moon
Resources may be seen as the third and Mars is NASA's response to
of a trilogy of NASA Special the new initiative proposed by
Publications reporting such ideas President Bush on July 20, 1989,
arising from similar studies. It has the 20th anniversary of the
been preceded by Space Apollo 11 landing on the Moon:
Settlements: A Design Study "First, for the coming decade, for
(NASA SP-413) and Space the 1990s, Space Station Freedom,
Resources and Space Settlements our critical next step in all our
(NASA SP-428). space endeavors. And next, for the
new century, back to the Moon,
And other, contemporaneous back to the future, and this time,
reports have responded to the same back to stay. And then a journey
themes. The National Commission into tomorrow, a journey to another
on Space, led by Thomas Paine, in planet, a manned mission to Mars."
Pioneering the Space Frontier, This report, Space Resources,
and the NASA task force led by offers substantiation for NASA's bid
astronaut Sally Ride, in Leadership to carry out that new initiative.
vi
Contents
PART 1—Exploring, Evaluating, and Mining
Nonterrestrial Resources .................................. 1
by Richard E. Gertsch
To Build a Mine: Prospect to Product ...................... 4 /
by Richard E. Gertsch
Developing Mineral Resources on Earth .................... 4
Market Identification: Formulating the Project .............. 4
Exploration: Finding Prospects ............................ 4
Site Evaluation: The Sampling Program .................... 5
Site Evaluation: The Ore Body Model ..................... 5
Design and Construction .................................. 6
Implications for Nonterrestrial Resources .................. 6
TheMarket .............................................. 8
Exploration.............................................. 9
Sampling Program ....................................... 10
Mine Design and Construction ............................. 12
Recommendations .......................................... 13
References ................................................. 14
Lunar Exploration for Resource Utilization ..................15 -
by Michael B. Duke
Lunar Material Resources: An Overview ..................... 19
by James L. Carter
Introduction ................................................ 19
Physical and Chemical Processes .......................... 20
Active Surface Agents ................................... 20
RockCycle .............................................. 23
Lunar Material Resources ................................... 27
Rocks and Minerals ...................................... 27
Rocks................................................. 27
Minerals............................................... 30
Regolith................................................. 32
Minerals............................................... 35
Glasses .............................................. 36
Volatile Species ........................................ 36
Fumaroles and Vapor Deposits ........................... 37
Nonlunar Materials ...................................... 38
Discussion ................................................. 38
Conclusions ............................................... 42
References ................................................. 43'
vi'
Ground-Based Observation
of Near-Earth Asteroids 5
by Michael J. Gaffey
Asteroid Resources ......................................... 59r
by John S. Lewis
The Asteroid-Meteorite Relationship ........................ 60
Meteorite Classes ......................................... 63
Meteorites as Sources of Volatiles and Metals ............. 70
Mechanical Properties of Meteorites ...................... 71
Asteroid Orbits ............................................ 73
Asteroids as Targets for Resource Exploitation ............ 78
Lunar Resource Evaluation
and Mine Site Selection ..................................... 79
by A. Edward Bence
Return to an Apollo Site ................................... 81
Oxygen Production ...................................... 82
Metal Extraction ........................................ 82
Bulk Material ........................................... 82
Other Site Considerations ................................ 83
NewSites ................................................. 84
Conclusion ................................................ 84
Lunar Site Characterization and Mining ................... 85-7
by Charles E. Glass
Specific Parameters for Mine Design ....................... 88
Requirements of the Lunar Mining System ................. 91
Throughput Requirements ................................ 92
Ruggedness of Equipment ............................... 92
Design Simplicity ....................................... 92
Versatility .............................................. 92
Automation............................................ 93
Work Force Requirements ............................... 94
Low Weight and Cost .................................... 94
Equipment Testing ...................................... 94
Conclusions .............................................. 94
VIII