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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Combustion Of Lunar Regolith Mixed With Energetic Additives: Thermodynamic Calculations And Experimental Studies, Francisco Alvarez
Combustion Of Lunar Regolith Mixed With Energetic Additives: Thermodynamic Calculations And Experimental Studies, Francisco Alvarez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The future of space exploration will require longer missions in order to better understand the conditions of near-Earth celestial objects, like the Moon or Mars. Future space missions will require the development of goods, such as propulsion fuel and structural materials, produced using the extraterrestrial resources available. The area that develops these technologies is called In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). ISRU allows reducing the payload, and as a consequence reduces the energy consumption and cost of space travel. The production of structural materials on the Moon can be accomplished using Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS). This work describes the combination of ISRU …
Experimental Investigation Of Magnesium/Regolith Combustion For In-Situ Production Of Materials On The Moon, Christopher White
Experimental Investigation Of Magnesium/Regolith Combustion For In-Situ Production Of Materials On The Moon, Christopher White
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Future settlements on the Moon will require that strong, cost-effective structural materials be developed in whole or in part from locally available resources. Such materials can be created in-situ from the lunar regolith using self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS). By mixing the lunar regolith with metal additives, such as aluminum or magnesium, a combustible mixture is formed which, when ignited, can reach temperatures high enough to allow combustion to be self-sustaining, sintering the lunar regolith without further energy input and without the need for atmospheric oxygen. The resulting products may be strong enough for some structural applications, such as radiation shielding, …