Architecture Studies for Commercial Production of Propellants From the Lunar Poles

Details Architecture Studies for Commercial Production of Propellants From the Lunar Poles Architecture Studies for Commercial Production of Propellants From the Lunar Poles

Jan 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003aipc..654.1219d&link_type=abstract

SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS INT.FORUM-STAIF 2003: Conf.on Thermophysics in Microgravity; Commercial/Civil Next Generation

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Spaceborne And Space Research Instruments, Apparatus, And Components, Features, Landmarks, Mineralogy, And Petrology

Scientific paper

Two architectures are developed that could be used to convert water held in regolith deposits within permanently shadowed lunar craters into propellant for use in near-Earth space. In particular, the model has been applied to an analysis of the commercial feasibility of using lunar derived propellant to convey payloads from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous Earth orbit. Production and transportation system masses were estimated for each architecture and cost analysis was made using the NAFCOM cost model. Data from the cost model were analyzed using a financial analysis tool reported in a companion paper (Lamassoure et al., 2002) to determine under what conditions the architectures might be commercially viable. Analysis of the architectural assumptions is used to identify the principal areas for further research, which include technological development of lunar mining and water extraction systems, power systems, reusable space transportation systems, and orbital propellant depots. The architectures and commercial viability are sensitive to the assumed concentration of ice in the lunar deposits, suggesting that further lunar exploration to determine whether higher-grade deposits exist would be economically justified.

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