Next time NASA goes to the moon, it’s going to try to stay put. Within the framework of the Artemis program, the US space agency plans to maintain, for the first time in history, a human presence on a celestial body other than Earth.
But building a lunar base is no small feat. Power generators, vehicles and habitats are needed. And the space industry is already racing to meet those technological challenges.
“It’s the Super Bowl for engineering,” Neil Davis, head of systems engineering for the Lunar Terrain vehicle at aerospace firm Dynetics, told AFP.
Dynetics revealed its prototype last month at the Colorado Springs Aerospace Symposium.
However, after the Artemis missions–7 from here–they’ll start looking for “adding permanent habitation on the surface,” said Jim Frye, associate administrator at NASA.
Artemis 3, the first mission to land on the Moon, won’t take place before the end of this decade, so habitat construction won’t start until after 2030.
He added that the base will likely include multiple sites to diversify space exploration goals and provide flexibility for landing on the moon.
– Energy and Telecom –
Although the dates seem far away, companies are eager to find solutions.
“Step zero is communications,” Joe London, CEO of Crescent Space, a new Lockheed Martin subsidiary dedicated to lunar services, told AFP.
“Think when you move into a new apartment, the first thing you have to do is get your phone online.”
Starting with a pair of satellites, the company wants to become the Moon’s GPS and Internet provider.
This would relieve pressure on NASA’s Deep Space Network, which threatens to overheat ahead of all upcoming missions, including special ones.
Landon estimates that the moon market will be worth “$100 billion over the next 10 years.”
Next step: turn on the lights.
Astrobotic, which has 220 employees, is one of three companies selected by NASA to develop solar panels.
They must be installed vertically because at the lunar south pole, the preferred destination for the presence of water in the form of ice, the sun hardly looks over the horizon.
The Astrobotic panels, about 60 feet high, will be connected by cables several kilometers long, said Mike Provenzano, the company’s lunar surface systems manager.
In addition, they will be installed in vehicles to be transported to different locations.
– Vehicles –
For its scientific missions, NASA has entrusted the industry with the development by 2028 of a depressurized – that is, a convertible – two-person “Rover”.
Unlike the “roves” on the Apollo missions, they would be able to operate autonomously to leave without an astronaut.
This means that they can survive icy lunar nights, which can last up to two weeks, with temperatures as low as -170°C.
Many companies have already taken the first step.
Lockheed Martin has partnered with General Motors to build on the giant’s expertise in electric vehicles and off-road vehicles.
Dynetics, an engineering subsidiary of Leidos giants, has joined NASCAR.
Its prototype, which will reach a top speed of 15 km/h, includes a robotic arm and braided metal wheels to increase traction on the sandy surface and handle any encounters with rocks.
Lunar dust is particularly challenging because it is not eroded by water or wind, it is almost as abrasive as glass.
NASA has not yet announced the selected company or companies.
In the long term, NASA is working with the Japanese space agency JAXA on a pressurized vehicle in which astronauts would not need to wear their suits.
– Environments –
Finally, the crew needs a place to hang their helmets and call home.
NASA has awarded a $57.2 million contract to Icon, a Texas-based company that specializes in 3D printing, to develop the technology needed to build roads, runways, and homes.
The idea is to use lunar soil as a material.
Other companies, such as Lockheed Martin, are developing prototypes of inflatable homes.
“The nice thing is you can land it on the moon and inflate it and then there will be more space for the crew to live and work,” Kirk Sherman, vice president of lunar exploration at Lockheed Martin, told AFP. .
Inside there will be rooms, a kitchen, and space for scientific instruments.
The basic concept behind Returning to the Moon with Artemis is to help NASA prepare for missions farther out to Mars.
“Whatever money we’re investing in developing these systems on the Moon, we want them to be applicable to going to Mars,” Sherman adds.
“Beer enthusiast. Subtly charming alcohol junkie. Wannabe internet buff. Typical pop culture lover.”