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The next steps for the expansion of the human presence in the solar system will be taken on the Moon. However, due to the low lunar gravity, the suspended dust generated when lunar rovers move across the lunar soil is a significant risk for lunar missions as it can affect the systems of the exploration vehicles. One solution to mitigate this problem is the construction of roads and landing pads on the Moon. In addition, to increase the sustainability of future lunar missions, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques must be developed. In this paper, the use of concentrated light for paving on the Moon by melting the lunar regolith is investigated. As a substitute of the concentrated sunlight, a high-power CO 2 laser is used in the experiments. With this set-up, a maximum laser spot diameter of 100 mm can be achieved, which translates in high thicknesses of the consolidated layers. Furthermore, the lunar regolith simulant EAC-1A is used as a substitute of the actual lunar soil. At the end of the study, large samples (approximately 250 × 250 mm) with interlocking capabilities were fabricated by melting the lunar simulant with the laser directly on the powder bed. Large areas of lunar soil can be covered with these samples and serve as roads and landing pads, decreasing the propagation of lunar dust. These manufactured samples were analysed regarding their mineralogical composition, internal structure and mechanical properties.

Two aluminum alloys (4043 and 6061) were fabricated using the innovative Molten Metal Deposition (MMD) technique. Three types of samples were produced by varying selected deposition parameters. The quality of the resulting components was assessed in terms of defects, density, and microstructure. In the 4043 alloy, the microstructure consists of α-Al dendrites surrounded by an Al–Si eutectic phase. All 4043 samples exhibited this microstructure, regardless of the deposition parameters. The mechanical response was preliminarily evaluated through HV0.5 microhardness measurements. The indentations produced under a 500 g load enabled the assessment of the contribution of both the α-Al matrix and the surrounding Al–Si eutectic. As for the 6061 alloy, its microstructure is composed of an α-Al matrix containing dispersed Al–Si–Fe intermetallics. Some oxide particles were observed at the grain boundaries, indicating the need for processing under a controlled atmosphere. In this study, no inert shielding atmosphere was used for the fabrication of the samples. Thanks to its high processing speed, sustainability, and ease of deployment, MMD can be regarded as a viable alternative to more conventional additive manufacturing technologies.

This work studies the tensile properties of Ti-6Al-4V samples produced by laser powder bed based Additive Manufacturing (AM), for different build orientations. The results showed high scattering of the yield and tensile strength and low fracture elongation. The subsequent fractographic investigation revealed the presence of tungsten particles on the fracture surface. Hence, its detection and impact on tensile properties of AM Ti-6Al-4V were investigated. X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) scanning indicated that these inclusions were evenly distributed throughout the samples, however the inclusions area was shown to be larger in the load-bearing plane for the vertical specimens. A microstructural study proved that the mostly spherical tungsten particles were embedded in the fully martensitic Ti-6Al-4V AM material. The particle size distribution, the flowability and the morphology of the powder feedstock were investigated and appeared to be in line with observations from other studies. X-ray CT scanning of the powder however made the high density particles visible, where various techniques, commonly used in the certification of powder feedstock, failed to detect the contaminant. As the detection of cross contamination in the powder feedstock proves to be challenging, the use of only one type of powder per AM equipment is recommended for critical applications such as Space parts.

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is increasingly acknowledged as an essential requirement for the construction of sustainable extra-terrestrial colonies. Even with decreasing launch costs, the ultimate goal of establishing colonies must be the usage of resources found at the destination of interest. Typical approaches towards ISRU are often constrained by the mass and energy requirements of transporting processing machineries, such as rovers and massive reactors, and the vast amount of consumables needed. Application of self-reproducing bacteria for the extraction of resources is a promising approach to reduce these pitfalls. In this work, the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis was used to reduce three different types of Lunar and Martian regolith simulants, allowing for the magnetic extraction of iron-rich materials. The combination of bacterial treatment and magnetic extraction resulted in a 5.8-times higher quantity of iron and 43.6% higher iron concentration compared to solely magnetic extraction. The materials were 3D printed into cylinders and the mechanical properties were tested, resulting in a 400% improvement in compressive strength in the bacterially treated samples. This work demonstrates a proof of concept for the on-demand production of construction and replacement parts in space exploration.

The next big leap in institutional and commercial space exploration is inextricably linked to the human desire to reach the Moon and Mars and to establish a permanently off-Earth inhabited colony [1], [2]. In the last decades, this has been one of the major, more demanding challenges for industry and agencies, since this imposes a creative re-thinking of previous mission approaches. Earth dependency has always represented the bottleneck for freely conceiving a human outpost on the Moon and Mars. It is widely recognized that a key enabler to any sustainable presence in space is the ability to manufacture necessary structures and spare parts in-situ and on-demand by recycling and re-using the available resources [3]. This will reduce cost, volume, and up-mass constraints, being also in line with the ESA space debris mitigation policy towards environmentally sustainable space activities. In this frame, the scope of this paper is to present the concepts investigated during ESA’s (European Space Agency) HARMONISE activity concerning both in-situ materials recycling and partial or complete re-use of end-of-life hardware to serve different purposes during Moon/Mars exploration missions. The investigation approach was threefold: recycling of polyethylene Ziplock ® bags into 3D-printable filament; melting and casting of scrap aluminium for tools fabrication, and partial re-utilisation of rack blind panels for habitat furniture design. For each of these strategies, a dedicated demonstrator has been designed, manufactured, and tested with respect to pre-defined success criteria, to fulfil functional requirements for both Earth and lunar/Martian scenarios. The HARMONISE (Hardware Recycling for Moon and Martian Settlement) activity will contribute to ushering a new, more sustainable space exploration era, supporting an emerging circular economy through in-orbit servicing and off-Earth manufacturing by 2050.

A process combining cooling slope casting and suction casting was developed to generate a semisolid structure in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass matrix composite. The melt was injected onto a cooling slope and subsequently vacuum sucked into a cylindrical copper mold placed at the end of the slope. The structure obtained for 4-mm-diameter specimens of composition Zr 66.4 Nb 6.4 Cu 10.5 Ni 8.7 Al 8 consists of a dispersion of spheroidal and rosettelike bcc crystals in a glassy matrix. Various slope angles, slope lengths, and injection pressures were tested. The coarsest and most spheroidal crystal structure was obtained at short slope lengths and high injection pressures. Microstructure analysis suggests that the slope is the location of extensive crystal nucleation and possible fragmentation, while the microstructure’s morphological evolution seems to occur mainly in the mold. The semisolid structure is expected to confer improved mechanical properties and ductility to the composite material.

The rapid solidification behavior of alloys in the Fe-Cr-Mn-Mo-Si-C system was investigated for different compositions and cooling rates. The C content was varied and alloying additions of Mo and B were studied with respect to their effect on the microstructure. The alloys were cast as either melt-spun ribbons or as 1-mm-thick plates after levitation or as rods 2 to 4 mm in diameter by injection into copper molds. A homogeneous single-phase structure was obtained for the alloy of composition 72.8Fe-8Cr-6Mn-5Si-5Mo-3.2C (wt pct), for a sample diameter of 2.85 mm, at a cooling rate of [asymptotically =]1100 K/s. The single-phase structure was identified as a metastable solid solution, exhibiting the characteristics of the ε phase. Upon reheating, decomposition of the single-phase structure into fine bainite plates and secondary carbides was observed between 600 °C and 700 °C. The annealed structure obtained showed high hardness values (> 850 HV). [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

The paper focuses on the experimental investigation of high temperature wetting behaviour of liquid pure Mg during a contact heating on Ni substrate by the sessile drop method. High temperature wettability test was performed by the classical sessile drop method at T = 700°C for t = 300 s, under flowing Ar 99.999% atmosphere, by using the equipment and testing procedures that have been developed by the Foundry Research Institute. In order to suppress effects of heating and cooling histories on wetting and spreading behaviours, Mg/Ni couple was introduced inside a metallic heater already preheated up to the test temperature, while after the wettability test, it was immediately removed to the cold part of the chamber. During the wettability test, images of the couple were recorded by high-resolution high-speed CCD camera. It was observed, that the wetting phenomenon (θ ≤ 90°) takes place immediately after melting of Mg sample. The Mg/Ni system shows a good wetting at T = 700°C after t = 300 s forming the final contact angle of 18°.

The main objective of this chapter is to present an overview of the different areas of key technologies that will be needed to fly the technically most challenging of the representative missions identified in chapter 4 (the Pillar 2 Horizon 2061 report). It starts with a description of the future scientific instruments which will address the key questions of Horizon 2061 described in chapter 3 (the Pillar 1 Horizon 2061 report) and the new technologies that the next generations of space instruments will require (section 2). From there, the chapter follows the line of logical development and implementation of a planetary mission: section 3 describes some of the novel mission architectures that will be needed and how they will articulate interplanetary spacecraft and science platforms; section 4 summarizes the system-level technologies needed: power, propulsion, navigation, communication, advanced autonomy on board planetary spacecraft; section 5 describes the diversity of specialized science platforms that will be needed to survive, operate and return scientific data from the extreme environments that future missions will target; section 6 describes the new technology developments that will be needed for long-duration missions and semi-permanent settlements; finally, section 7 attempts to anticipate on the disruptive technologies that should emerge and progressively prevail in the decades to come to meet the long-term needs of future planetary missions.

Abstract In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is increasingly acknowledged as an essential requirement for the construction of sustainable extra-terrestrial colonies. Even with decreasing launch costs, the ultimate goal of establishing colonies must be the usage of resources found at the destination of interest. Typical approaches towards ISRU are often constrained by the mass and energy requirements of transporting processing machineries, such as rovers and massive reactors, and the vast amount of consumables needed. Application of self-reproducing bacteria for the extraction of resources is a promising approach to avoid these pitfalls. In this work, the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis was used to reduce three different types of Lunar and Martian regolith simulants, allowing for the magnetic extraction of iron-rich materials. The quantity of bacterially extracted material was up to 5.8 times higher and the total iron concentration was up to 43.6% higher in comparison to untreated material. The materials were 3D printed into cylinders and the mechanical properties were tested, resulting in a 396 ± 115% improvement in compressive strength in the bacterially treated samples. This work demonstrates a proof of concept for the on-demand production of construction and replacement parts in space exploration. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.