Introduction to the concept of modular blocks for lunar infrastructure

Abstract

With the major progress of the Artemis program, and the development of NASA's largest rocket since the Apollo era capable of interplanetary travel, Americans are closer than ever to reaching back for the Moon, but this time with the intent of establishing a constant human presence. This vision is further strengthened by the rise of the private rocket sector with SpaceX, RocketLab, Relativity Space, Blue Origin, etc. The establishment of the lunar infrastructure will be a stepping-stone towards reaching for a farther destination, Mars. This paper presents a novel idea of lunar infrastructure construction, with a focus on habitation modules, based on the recently published work by the authors, focusing on the preliminary trade study of various concepts of lunar habitats. The modular blocks are introduced, representing the main building components for any lunar infrastructure. The modular blocks for habitat structures are designed as hollow bricks, optimized in a way that requires the least amount of construction material while implementing 3D printing technologies and minimizing the on-site human construction and assembly. Furthermore, different constructability techniques are presented, together with the initial stages of their development and materials which can be used for their manufacturing. Future work will encompass material properties, a more detailed explanation of manufacturing, global design, and structural analyses.