Performance-Based Engineering Framework to Quantify Micrometeoroid Damage to Lunar Surface Structures

Abstract

Extended-duration missions to the Moon require the construction of long-term infrastructure that protects inhabitants and protects life-support systems from the Moon’s hazardous environment. Notable hazards of the lunar environment include ionizing radiation, extreme thermal cycles, and hypervelocity micrometeoroid impacts. Of these hazards, micrometeoroids are a top research priority because they are stochastic in nature and arrive without warning. To design structures that will be impacted by randomly distributed micrometeoroids, a risk-based approach should be used. This paper describes the development of a risk-based design framework termed performance-based impact engineering. This proposed framework allows the risk of micrometeoroid impact to be considered in the design of lunar infrastructure by developing site-specific hazard models and material-specific damage models. The methodologies for micrometeoroid hazard estimation on the lunar surface and material damage prediction are described. A case study for the design of a tiled lunar landing pad using the performance-based impact engineering framework is demonstrated.