Scientists have suggested a new way to protect lunar bases from rocket exhaust. They propose using robots to build stone walls on the moon, which could benefit future lunar missions.
Rocket exhaust can be dangerous. When rockets land or take off, they create powerful forces that can throw dust and small rocks into the air. Protecting lunar bases from space debris is crucial because it can cause damage to equipment and habitats on the moon.
Swiss researchers suggest using self-governing robots to construct stone walls around lunar bases. These durable walls will provide reliable protection as blast shields. The innovative use of materials found on the moon will enhance the efficiency of the robots. This method is cheaper than transporting materials from Earth.
The robots will be hydraulic excavators. They will gather rocks from the lunar surface and stack them to form a wall. The protective wall, with a proposed radius between 50 and 100 meters, is intended to encircle the lunar base, serving as a safeguarding barrier and establishing a secure perimeter around the base of operations.
The study’s lead author is Jonas Walther. He conducted this research for his master’s thesis at ETH Zürich. He now works at Venturi Lab, a Swiss company focused on lunar rover design.
Using robots to build structures on the moon has been introduced previously. However, this is the first time it has been proposed that blast shields be built. This method is practical and efficient as it utilizes the moon’s natural resources, reducing costs and complexity.
Rocket exhaust can cause serious damage. During the Apollo missions, rocket exhaust caused equipment damage with dust and debris. For example, the Apollo 12 mission brought back the Surveyor 3 probe. The damage was caused by dust blown away from the Lunar Module Intrepid.
The researchers also evaluated the impact of SpaceX‘s Starship vehicle, which will be used in NASA’s Artemis 3 mission. It will put astronauts on the moon again. The starship’s rocket exhaust may affect a large area of the lunar environment, highlighting the crucial need for blast shields.
Building these walls would take about three months. The robots would work autonomously without human intervention. Assess the rocks, collect them, and stack them. Repeat until the wall is complete.
The scientists leveraged the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) data to strategize their project. They studied the distribution of boulders at two potential landing sites. Rocks from the Shackleton-Henson Connecting Ridge and the Aristarchus Plateau were used to build the walls.
The team of researchers meticulously calculated the exact quantity of material required for the project. In addition to this, they conducted a comprehensive analysis comparing their findings with alternative solutions, including processed stone walls and microwave-heated landing pads. They found that using natural rocks is the most efficient method.
“This exciting project is currently in the planning stages but already displays significant promise.” If successful, it could make lunar missions safer and more sustainable. Using robots to build structures on the moon could be a game-changer for space exploration.
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