Long-Range Magnetic Transport of Regolith Particles Using Multistage Coil Gun on Moon and Mars

Abstract

A magnetic transport system for regolith particles on the Moon and Mars was developed, taking advantage of the fact that lunar and Martian regolith particles are magnetic. A multistage coil gun mechanism was used to realize long-range regolith transport. The system has a simple configuration, consisting of a tube in which regolith is transported, solenoid coils attached to the tube, and a power supply that consists of a direct current (DC) power supply, capacitor, and switching circuit. A series of pulse currents was applied by discharging the charged capacitor to the coils, which were arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the tube. It was demonstrated that a substantial number of particles can be transported in the tube for a long distance by adjusting the pulse time and interval between pulses. A multistage terraced path was preferable to transport particles for a long distance than a straight path. Because the magnetic permeability of the lunar and Martian regolith is low and environmental conditions on the Moon and Mars are different from those on Earth, the performance in those environments was estimated by numerical calculation using the modified discrete-element method. The numerical calculation suggested that regolith particles could be successfully transported in the low-gravity environment of the Moon, but improvement is needed to apply the system on Mars. The system does not require mechanical moving and sticking parts, consumables such as gases or liquids, and its control is simple; thus, it is potentially reliable for use in space. The system can be implemented as reliable particle transportation for in situ resource utilization, which supports future long-term crewed missions on the Moon and Mars.