In Situ Resource Utilization 2008 Field Campaign

In Situ Resource Utilization 2008 Field Campaign

What is Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)? ISRU involves any hardware or operation that harnesses and utilizes ‘in-situ’ resources to create products and services for robotic and human exploration In-Situ Lunar Resources § ‘Natural’ Lunar Resources § Discarded Materials Lunar ISRU Products and Services § Excavation, Site Preparation, and Outpost Deployment/Emplacement § Mission Consumable Production § Outpost Growth and Self-Sufficiency Benefits of ISRU § Increased science and exploration hardware (instead of consumables) § Increased safety, crew exploration time, and self-sufficiency § Technology spin-in/spin-offs help recycling on Earth & space economy

Lunar Surface Systems Element Connectivity with ISRU CFM technology common with ISRU Construction & Manufacturing Altair Propulsion Defines propellant options & propulsion capabilities Surface Mobility Propellant (O 2 or O 2/fuel) Hydrocarbons for plastics Materials for concrete & metal structures Purge gas/tank pressurant Thermal Energy Gas for pneumatic systems Explosives In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) O 2 for Habitat & EVA ECLSS technology common with ISRU Thermal Energy Fuel cell reagents (O 2 and fuel) Backup water O 2, H 2 O and N 2/Ar for Habitat & EVA suits Water and carbon waste from ECLSS Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS) Defines level of closed-loop ECLSS required Water from fuel cell N 2 and/or Ar for science instruments Defines resource excavation & transportation capabilities Fuel cell, Water processing, & CFM technology common with ISRU Gas for drills & hardware Surface & Fuel Cell Power Generation Explosives Science Activities Defines surface power needs and fuel cell reagents

ISRU Development Strategy Develop ISRU Technology and Systems in 4 Phases (2 -4 years each phase) • Phase I: Demonstrate Feasibility • Phase II: Technology and systems evolution optimized vs key performance parameters • Phase III: Modify and test for lunar environment applicability • Reach TRL 6 by Lunar Surface System (LSS) PDR (2014) Coordinate development of ISRU Technologies & Systems with Other LSS Elements • Identify common requirements, processes, hardware, and operations • Coordinate development of hardware to align project schedule Utilize Laboratory and Analog Site Demonstrations to: • Demonstrate capabilities and operations • Demonstrate evolution and incremental growth in technologies and systems • Perform joint hardware and operation tests with other Surface Element Projects • Develop partnerships and relationships across NASA and other US government agencies, and with International Partners, Industry, and Academia Be Prepared to Participate in Robotic Precursor Missions • Site characterization and resource mapping • Subscale ISRU demonstrations for subsequent mission risk reduction • Outpost ‘dress rehearsal’ mission including other LSS elements

2008 Field Test Background • Hardware developed by the ISRU project needed to move from the laboratory to more challenging conditions • Tests in a lunar analog were desired • Partnered with PISCES via a NASA Innovative Partnerships Proposal to develop a test site to meet our needs – Appropriate soil, limited vegetation, site accessibility, infrastructure to support the test team

ISRU Analog and Field Test Site Requirements • Minimum vegetation (including ability to remove vegetation) • ‘Good’ Weather – Minimum rain and wind – Lots of sunlight – Reasonable temperatures (unless specifically needed for test objectives) • Open and relatively flat areas for ‘Outpost-like’ operations • Varied terrain and rock features for resource prospecting and science operations • Local material with similar physical characteristics to the Moon for excavation and site preparation • Local material with similar mineral characteristics to the Moon for resource prospecting, oxygen extraction, and processing • Local material that can be modified, processed, and permanently altered for site preparation and construction

Analog and Field Test Site Infrastructure Needs • Access – Easy access by all participants and hardware by government, industry, academia, and international space agencies – Access and operations day and night if required – Access to site for ~14 days per test program – Security to control access of non-participants and secure hardware • Personnel Support – Lodging and food near test site for test personnel to minimize travel time and logistics to/from test site – Personal hygiene facilities and refreshment/food capability at test sites or within reasonable distance so testing is not impacted – On-site medical support for first aid & emergencies with rapid access to near-by hospital if required (< 1 hour) – Meeting areas for planning and post-test debrief – Parking • Test Operation Support – Shelters & tents for personnel, in-site assembly/maintenance, and weather protection – On-site power (10’s of KW) and battery recharging capability – Gases and cryogenic fluids for test activities (oxygen, nitrogen, argon, helium, methane, etc. )

Analog and Field Test Site Infrastructure Needs • Test Setup Support – Reasonably close to airport for shipment of hardware – Ability to ship and store hardware to site before personnel travel to analog site – Access to workshop for test article storage, assembly, and maintenance (tools and floor space) – Support equipment to move test hardware from assembly area to test site and back; possibly on daily basis if hardware can not be left out overnight or fails to operate properly. – Wireless communication capability and satellite communication capability to run hardware remotely, interact with remote operation centers, and daily e-mail communication – Environmental and cultural compliance and approval

PISCES Field Test Preparations • Worked With NASA Perform Site Selection – Process Completed in Jan/Feb • NASA worked iteratively with PISCES to develop a Site Requirements Document – Finalized in July • Site Layout Visit and Logistics Inspection Conducted in August • Weekly Telecons Held To Work Out Details – Equipment Transportation, Consumables, Emergency Medical Plan, Accommodations, Communications, Food, Water, Shelter…. – Last Telecon held one week before execution

Nov. ISRU Field Test Infrastructure and Test Layout Varied Terrain, Slopes, & Rock Distribution for Resource Prospecting/Mobility Demo RESOLVE/Scarab Field Test Location Outpost Oxygen Production Field Test Location Flat, Open Area for Oxygen Extraction Demo Lodging Infrastructure

Why Perform Analog Field Tests? Concrete Benefits of Field/Analog Testing • Mature Technology – Forces design decisions to be made and gets hardware out of the laboratory – Develops technologies and systems at relevant scale and initiates the systems engineering & integration of multiple elements • Evaluate Lunar Architecture Concepts Under Applicable Conditions – Demonstrate feasibility for ISRU to provide Outpost with oxygen at relevant processing rates/scales – Demonstrates use of modular units for interconnection and growth – Demonstrates feasibility of multiple science instruments on mobile platform for RLEP 2 -type mission • Evaluate Operations & Procedures – Evaluate operations, controls, and interactions required for end-to-end oxygen extraction – Evaluate operations, controls, and interactions required for mobile science and ISRU precursor – Evaluate remote operations and communications impacts on hardware and performance – Evaluate science vs. engineering aspect to instrument data and operations • Integrate and Test Hardware from Multiple Organizations

Why Perform Analog Field Tests? Indirect Benefits of Field/Analog Testing • Develop Teamwork and Trust Early – Multiple Centers and Organizations Learn To Work Together • Develop New Partnerships – Informal discussions of each other’s work leads to ideas for future partnerships • Develop Data Exchange & Interactions with International Partners (ITAR) – An important barrier that is frequently ignored until field tests force the issue • Outreach and Public Education – Inspiring the next generation – Building ground roots support with the public

Outreach Activities • Visited local schools to talk about exploration, over 700 children attended • Planning a demonstration day at the Imiloa Center in Hilo on Saturday, 11/15

Participants

Hardware Demonstration &Team List • Oxygen Extraction from Regolith – Excavation: • Cratos rover (NASA ISRU) • Bucketwheel (LMA-IR&D) – Oxygen Extraction from Regolith • ROxygen fluidized/auger hydrogen reduction reactor (NASA ISRU) • PILOT rotating hydrogen reduction reactor (LMA-contracted) – Water Electrolysis/processing • Anode-feed electrolyzer with -40 C water separation freezer (NASA ISRU) • Cathode-feed electrolyzer with 5 C water separation condensor (LMA – ISRU contract) – Oxygen storage • Gaseous storage (NASA ISRU) • Liquefaction and cryogenic storage (LMA-IR&D) • Liquefaction, cryogenic storage, and thruster firing (NASAIR&D) – Ground support equipment (NASA ISRU)

Hardware Demonstration &Team List • Resource Prospecting and Subscale Oxygen Extraction Demonstration – Scarab rover (Carnegie Mellon Univ. – NASA HRS grant) – Tri. DAR navigation sensor (Neptec – CSA contract) – Drill, Sample Transfer, and Crusher (NORCAT – NASA ISRU contract and CSA contract) – RESOLVE reactor, gas characterization and collection, and subscale O 2 extraction demo (NASA ISRU) – Sample metering device with windows and electrostatic dust removal INASA ISRU) – Ground support equipment (NASA ISRU) – Tractor and cart for GSE (NORCAT – CSA funding) – Local and satellite communication and remote operation of drill (NORCAT – CSA funding) – Mossbauer spectrometer on Scarab (JSC/Germany – NASA ISRU funding) – CHEMIN (ARC – NASA ISRU funding) – Hand-held Raman spectrometer (CSA funding)

International And University Participation • Canadian Space Agency – NORCAT, Xiphos, Argo, Virgin Technologies, EVC, University of Toronto – NORCAT deserves a great deal of credit as a catalyst for many of these partnerships • German Space Agency (DLR) – Instrumented “Mole” & Sample Capture Mole • Carnegie Mellon University – SCARAB Rover

Field Demonstration Goals

Mobile Resource Characterization & Oxygen Demonstration Hardware Tri. DAR Navigation & Drill Site Selection Sensor (Neptec) RESOLVE Processing Module Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator Simulator (GRC) Hydrogen Capture Bed Gas Chromatograph Scarab Rover (CMU – HRS) Reactor & Valving RESOLVE Drill & Sample Transfer (NORCAT) Neon Tank Hydrogen Tank Water Capacitance Beds Interface panel with Ground Support Equipment

Mobile Resource Prospecting & Oxygen Production (RESOLVE/Scarab) Tasks • Demonstrate roving over multiple terrain features with complete RESOLVE-science payload • Demonstrate dark navigation of Scarab over varied terrain and rock distribution • Demonstrate drill site selection using Tri. DAR and Raman spectrometer via remote analysis at CSA PTOC • Demonstrate remote operation of drill and sample transfer operations at CSA PTOC • Demonstrate end-to-end operation of RESOLVE package – Min. of two times for resource prospecting: drilling, sample transfer, crushing, heating, volatile characterization; Max. 5 times – Min. of one time for oxygen extraction from regolith; Max. 3 times

PILOT Field Test Hardware Rotating H 2 Reduction Reactor - 17 kg/batch Hydrogen Storage Lift System and Auger Loading Product Processor Oxygen Liquefier/ Storage (IR&D) Dump Chute Salt Extraction Collector and Second Stage Filter Water Condenser Bucket Drum Excavator (IR&D) Lander Simulator (IR&D) PILOT – Precursor ISRU Lunar Oxygen Testbed

ROxygen Field Test Hardware Two Fluidized H 2 Reduction Reactors - 10 kg/batch each Regolith hopper/auger lift system (2) Water Freezer Hydrogen Tank/Separator Water Tanks (2) Gaseous O 2 Storage Cratos Excavator Ramp to allow Cratos operations (or other small vehicle) Regolith reactor exhaust Water Electrolysis Units (2) NASA ROxygen H 2 Reduction System

OPTIMA ROxygen & PILOT Tasks • Demonstrate excavation and material delivery to plant and removal of spent regolith; – Increase distance and terrain complexity between plant and excavation site each day • Demonstrate regolith processing to extract oxygen – Min. of 4 hrs on one day; nominal 8 hrs per day – Max. of 8 hrs/day for 5 days • Demonstrate oxygen separation and storage – Liquefaction and cryogenic storage – Moderate pressure gaseous oxygen • Opportunistic Demos – Demonstrate alternative oxygen liquefaction and storage – Hot fire a LO 2/LCH 4 RCS 25 lbf thruster igniter – Mossbauer spectrometer on Cratos to measure iron before and after processing

Field Test Pictures and Movies

Getting Here

PILOT Setup

RESOLVE Setup

Management Hard At Work Packing up for the move Drill Arrives

ROxygen Setup

Test Results (more to come) • PILOT – Significant water generated from regolith on every process run – First two runs conducted without water clean up, so a significantly acidic water was generated – Run three used water vapor scrubber and water was visibly cleaner – If analysis proves that water scrubber is working, water electrolysis operations will begin Tuesday. THAT MEANS OXYGEN WILL HAVE BEEN PRODUCED FROM HAWAII VOLCANIC SOIL WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE MOON!!! • RESOLVE has Drilled 4 core samples – Regolith Volatiles Characterization experiment noted CO 2, H 2, O 2 and water during heating – Regolith Oxygen Extraction generated water, as expected, during one hour reduction process • ROxygen Operations begin today (Hurricane Delays)

Water From Rocks! Purity Goal…

Autonomous Navigation

Difficulties • Wind & Dust!!!!!

Difficulties • • Dust!!!!! Transportation Logistics Sharing… Time Pressure

PISCES Performance • Handled all permitting and coordination with local organizations • Supplied or Coordinated All Base Camp Facilities – Tents, power cords, rope, tarps, tie wraps, fuel, food, water, portable toilets, lights, etc • Field Operations Personnel Outstanding – John Hamilton and Christian Andersen

Oxygen On The Moon