Assessing the Applicability of Terrestrial Recycling Fragmentation Technologies in Lunar Conditions: A Review

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/ReportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • T. Nabokina - , National Aerospace University "Kharkiv Aviation Institute", TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • C. Bach - , Chair of Space Systems (Author)

Abstract

One of the key conditions for the growth of space activity and the effective development of extraterrestrial surfaces is the implementation of the In-Situ-Resource Utilization strategy, which involves the use of local resources. The resources of the Moon include not only its geological features but also previously used lunar modules and other structures left on its surface. Their reuse will significantly reduce funding for the organization of lunar stations and prevent the accumulation of unused structures on the lunar surface. This study aims to evaluate technologies suitable for fragmenting space structures in lunar conditions, with a focus on adapting terrestrial recycling techniques to the Moon’s unique environment. This work employs a selective analysis methodology, assessing various terrestrial recycling and fragmentation methods – mechanical, impulse, thermal, hydro-jet, and chemical – for their feasibility in lunar conditions. In this study, based on a systems approach, existing methods for the fragmentation of metallic structures have been analyzed to identify the most optimal for use on the lunar surface. The study takes into account key environmental factors on the Moon, including extreme temperature variations, low gravity, absence of atmosphere, and the presence of abrasive lunar regolith, all of which impact equipment operation. The advantages and disadvantages of each group of method were considered, taking into account the influence of lunar conditions. According to the selective analysis, thermal methods were identified as the most promising for the fragmentation of aluminum structures for aerospace applications in terrestrial conditions and on the surface of the Moon. Implementing these technologies could advance sustainable lunar exploration by reducing dependency on Earth-supplied materials.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationIntegrated Computer Technologies in Mechanical Engineering - 2024
EditorsOleksii Lytvynov, Volodymyr Pavlikov, Dmytro Krytskyi
PublisherSpringer, Cham
Pages252–263
Number of pages12
Volume2
ISBN (electronic)978-3-031-94852-7
ISBN (print)978-3-031-94851-0
Publication statusPublished - 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesLecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Volume1474
ISSN2367-3370

External IDs

Scopus 105012025164
ORCID /0000-0002-5710-6530/work/207303862

Keywords

Keywords

  • Aerospace Material Recycling, Moon mission, Space utilization technologies, Space Structure Fragmentation, In-Situ-Resource Utilization