Ultra-Electrical-Efficient Process to Perform Regolith Additive Manufacturing of Complex Structures

Lunar Resources, an Americannbsp;pioneering space industrial companynbsp;proposes to NASAnbsp; the maturation of the Pulsed Electrical Discharge Additive Manufacturing Lunar Surface Construction system (PE3D-LSC). A novelnbsp;additive manufacturingnbsp;system optimized fornbsp;lunar regolith and the lunar environment. The technology does not use binders or reagents to additively manufacture unadulterated regolith and is highly power efficient. During the Phase I effort, the technology was shown to successfully melt lunar regolith in air and vacuum with a quarter of the power required by state-of-the-art laser systems. In addition, a uniquenbsp;regolith feed system was also successfully tested to be able to feed the PE3D-LSC with regolith without mechanical mechanisms. nbsp;During the Phase II effort, the PE3D-LSC will be advanced, with a focus on reducing power input and increasing quality of regolith additive manufacturing parts/structurednbsp;in vacuum tonbsp;enablenbsp;the additive manufacture of lunar structures from regolith innbsp;geometries and complexity not before possible on the Moon.