Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing for a Sustainable Moon Base

Sammanfattning

One of the major challenges in implementing and maintaining a permanent Moon base is the need for a constant input of consumables, which not only includes food, water and oxygen for the crew but also a provision of module elements, power generation, module interior fittings, laboratory resources, medical facilities and more. All these needs require a major logistics implementation when they have to be transported from Earth. The possibility of reducing this Earth dependency by making maximum use of both exist- ing lunar surface materials and recycling of lunar base materials will represent the only programmatic solution to assure a sustainable settlement. In this framework, the Additive Manufacturing (AM) method Lithography-Based Metal Manufacturing (LMM) will be a great asset to pave the way in this direction. LMM allows the manufacturing of high-quality parts in a wide range of materials with varying powder quality and purity. These properties make LMM a great method in combination with recycling on the Moon. An investigation of the lunar environment and the effects on the design of a commercial printer was performed and translated into top-level requirements. Subsequently, selected components were analysed and improved with the help of Generative Design. The new designs allow for a significant mass saving of around two thirds compared to the original weight without any limitations of functionality. Additional design suggestions are presented along with future challenges for a sustainable Moon base.