End-to-end mission design for microbial ISRU activities as preparation for a moon village

• Published in: Acta astronautica Vol. 162; pp. 216 - 226
• Main Authors: Lehner, B.A.E., Schlechten, J., Filosa, A., Canals Pou, A., Mazzotta, D.G., Spina, F., Teeney, L., Snyder, J., Tjon, S.Y., Meyer, A.S., Brouns, S.J.J., Cowley, A., Rothschild, L.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elmsford Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Architecture; Bioreactor; Bioreactors; Construction materials; In situ resources utilization; Iron; ISRU; Landing sites; Lunar regolith; Lunar surface; Mars missions; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Mission architecture; Mission planning; Moon; Radiation; Regolith; Solar radiation shielding; Solar system; Space missions; Thermal radiation; Mission architecture; Bioreactor; Microbiology; ISRU
• ISSN: 0094-5765; 1879-2030; 1879-2030
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.06.001

In situ resource utilization (ISRU) increasingly features as an element of human long-term exploration and settlement missions to the lunar surface. In this study, all requirements to test a novel, biological approach for ISRU are validated, and an end-to-end mission architecture is proposed. The general mission consists of a lander with a fully autonomous bioreactor able to process lunar regolith and extract elemental iron. The elemental iron could either be stored or directly utilized to generate iron wires or construction material. To maximize the success rate of this mission, potential landing sites for future missions are studied, and technical details (thermal radiation, shielding, power-supply) are analyzed. The final section will assess the potential mission architecture (orbit, rocket, lander, timeframe). This design might not only be one step further towards an international “Moon Village”, but may also enable similar missions to ultimately colonize Mars and further explore our solar system.
•Synthetic biology can help to bind elemental silicon from lunar regolith simulants.•E. coli can be combined with magnetism to extract iron from lunar regolith simulants.•The mission architecture can be accomplished with currently available launchers.•A lander together with a rover is sufficient for multiple biological experiments.