This year (2024) marked the start of a new era for space exploration. Increasingly, space missions are being led by commercial entities looking to exploit resources beyond near-Earth orbit and towards the Moon and Mars. Meanwhile, national governments across the world continue to explore outer space, as demonstrated by China’s lunar sample return mission in May 2024. This article links NewSpace and the Moon by introducing a concept that employs robotics and in-situ resource utilisation of the lunar regolith to construct plume deflection structures.
The ability to create large, strong structures on another planetary body without the need to transport all the materials lies at the heart of in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) and represents a revolution for surviving on the Moon. A process that simultaneously removes lunar regolith from the local area and uses it to build structures will also improve working conditions by minimising the harmful effects of the abrasive dust on sensors and human support systems. The proposal described here will potentially enable the UK to develop a new capability, driven by scientific understanding, to support governments, science agencies and companies in surviving the extremely hostile environment on the Moon and, later, on Mars.
