Low-Energy Additive Construction for the Moon and Mars

Dust mitigation on the lunar surface is an early priority for permanent or long-term lunar and Martian outposts. The physical characteristics of regolith on the lunar surface, along with its lack of an atmosphere and low gravity make the fine particles a hazard for equipment and operations on the moon. Mars presents similar hazards with its low-pressure atmosphere and reduced gravity. Regolith ejected from landers upon landing or taking off represent the highest risk due to the high exhaust velocities. To mitigate high-velocity regolith from being ejected into adjacent areas, landing and launch pads require surface stabilization. Due to the large mass required and high payload costs, methods that incorporate ISRU have the potential to present a lower-cost and more efficient option for planetary construction. Past work by PISCES, in conjunction with NASA SwampWorks and Honeybee robotics, has focused on sintering basalt without binders. This method has proven successful, but the high energy and the need for consumable high- temperature molds would incur substantial energy and payload costs. Recent work done by PISCES evaluated the use of a binder in an aqueous solution that eliminates the problem of high energy input required for the process. The use of this binder has allowed for a reduction of the sintering temperature of the basalt, but most importantly, it cures into a structurally viable material under a vacuum and in CO 2 . This can be a game changer that allows for the regolith binder mix to be used in additive construction operations without the need for additional heat or consumable molds. This proposal leverages Masten Space Systemsrsquo; work on the effects of PSI on surface erosion with their hot plume sample interaction testing and PISCESrsquo; work on basalt-binder composites. This proposal will advance and validate this novel binder-regolith composite for surface construction and develop an effective composite extruder for the relevant environments.