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.

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

  • Tetyana Nabokina,
  • Christian Bach

摘要

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.