Excavation Forces in Reduced Gravity Environment

Abstract

When we return to the moon we will likely do so on limited budgets that will necessitate small, low-cost missions. Since the cost of transportation to the moon consumes upwards of 50% of the cost of an entire mission, one way to reduce mission cost is to use lunar resources to the greatest extent practical. This will reduce the amount of material transported to the moon, translating directly and linearly into cost savings. The most obvious lunar resource is the lunar regolith. With the lunar regolith we can build blast barriers; provide radiation and micrometeorite protection for habitats; and provide feed stock for oxygen production processes. Excavation technology for the lunar environment is an important element that will enable these uses of lunar regolith and one that requires further investigation. The objective of this paper is to present the results of experiments that provide bounds to the problem. These bounds may be used for the design and construction of a realistic prototype for further testing and development.