Leveraging in situ resources for lunar base construction

We explore the limits of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon to maximize living off the land by building lunar bases from in situ material. We adopt the philosophy of indigenous peoples who excelled in sustainability. We are interested in leveraging lunar resources to manufacture an entire lunar base in such a fashion that is fully sustainable and minimizes supplies required from Earth. A range of metals, ceramics and volatiles can be extracted from lunar minerals to support construction of a lunar base that include structure, piping and electrical distribution systems. To 3D print a lunar base, we must 3D print the load-bearing structure, electrical distribution system, water-based heating system, drinking water system, air system and orbital transport system from in situ resources. We also address the manufacture of the interior of the lunar base from local resources. The majority of systems constituting a lunar base can be manufactured from in situ resources. Key words: lunar base, in situ resource utilization, sustainable space exploration, additive manufacturing. Nous explorons les limites de l'utilisation des ressources in situ (URIS) sur la Lune pour maximiser la vie sur la Lune en construisant des bases lunaires a partir de materiaux in situ. Nous adoptons la philosophie des peuples autochtones qui ont excelle en matiere de durabilite. Nous sommes interesses a tirer parti des ressources lunaires pour fabriquer une base lunaire entiere d'une maniere totalement durable et qu'elle minimise les approvisionnements requis de la Terre. Une gamme de metaux, ceramiques et composants volatils peuvent etre extraits des mineraux lunaires pour soutenir la construction d'une base lunaire qui comprend la structure, la tuyauterie et le systeme de distribution electrique. Pour imprimer en 3D une base lunaire, nous devons imprimer en 3D la structure portante, le systeme de distribution electrique, le systeme de chauffage a l'eau, le systeme d'eau potable, le systeme d'air et le systeme de transport orbital a partir de ressources in situ. Nous abordons egalement la fabrication de l'interieur de la base lunaire a partir de ressources locales. La majorite des systemes constituant une base lunaire peuvent etre fabriques a partir de ressources in situ. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: base lunaire, utilisation in situ des ressources, exploration spatiale durable, fabrication additive.
1. Introduction Everyone is going to the Moon. The Chinese Chang'e programme is a vigorous lunar exploration programme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Lunar_Exploration_Program)--Chang'e 4 landed on the lunar farside and hosted a small garden [...]