Offworld's Prospector 1 Mission to Demonstrate ISRU on the Moon
08/11/2024, spacesettlementprogress.com
In-Situ Resource Utilization is the use of local natural resources at space mission destinations.
At the intersection of AI, swarm robotics and mining technologies lies the key to sustainable and affordable space exploration. Offworld, Inc. is at the forefront of these developments with its diverse suite of robots that, when coordinated with collective intelligence, will enable in situ resource utilization (ISRU), thereby reducing the cost of establishing settlements on the Moon and beyond, while kickstarting a thriving off-Earth economy. presentations at Future In-Space Operations (FISO) Telecon On July 24, space systems architect Dallas Bienhoff outlined Offworld's plans for an ambitious demonstration mission called Prospector 1.
In April 2023, OffWorld Europe entered into an agreement with the Luxembourg Space Agency to collaborate on the ISRU lunar exploration programme, commissioned by the European Space Agency. This multi-year initiative will develop a recycling system focused on the collection and use of lunar ice. The programme will involve the development of a Lunar Processing Module (LPM) integrated into a mobile excavator that will be launched to the lunar south pole as part of the Prospector 1 mission scheduled for late 2027. The objective of Prospector 1 is to demonstrate the feasibility of recycling ice-containing lunar regolith to produce oxygen and hydrogen. The LPM, loaded with such regolith, will process lunar soil to extract water and then produce oxygen and hydrogen via electrolysis. The module’s hopper is designed to receive up to 50 kg of regolith and process 2.5 kg/hour in batches. The module will be placed on a 2,500 kg mobile excavator. Offworld has already completed LPM testing using the methodology TRL4 in its Luxembourg office.
Offworld is evaluating several suppliers to deliver its cargo to the moon, including Blue Moon Mark 1 Lander from Blue Origin, Griffin by Astrobotic, NOVA-D from Intuitive Machines And Starship by SpaceX.
The company is exploring various options for power generation for the mission. Of course, the landers provide some minimal power, but it is not enough to process the lunar regolith. One promising system currently being considered is the vertical solar array (VSAT) technology being developed by Astorbotic, which would provide 10 kW of power (only in sunlight).
But that's not all. This month, Astrobotic announced, that just received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from NASA to develop a larger version of the array, called the VSAT-XL, capable of delivering 50 kW. Designed to track the sun, the VSAT is ideal for placement at the lunar south pole, where the sun’s rays are at very low altitude and provide semi-permanent illumination to the rims of permanently shadowed craters.
Another innovative alternative is an energy source called Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell (NTAC)being developed Tamer Spacea company offering a range of energy and construction resources for lunar settlements, cislunar economies, and sustainable exploration of Mars. The device is an electrical generator that converts gamma radiation from radioactive materials directly into electrical power in a compact, robust, high-power-density package capable of operating for long periods without refueling. NTAC can provide higher power levels (e.g. starting at 100 kW) and is independent of the Sun to ensure operation during the lunar night should Offworld choose to locate its facility away from the Moon's poles or in permanently shadowed regions. Tamer Space described her technology on Space Resources Roundtable 2023.
Following Propector 1, Offworld's follow-up plans call for the launch of a second Prospector 2 in 2029. This mission will expand its capabilities to include multiple types of robots, such as an excavator, transporter, and recycler. Additionally, liquefaction (not just gaseous products) will be added to the process stream, and the pilot plant's risk mitigation capabilities will be demonstrated for the next mission. In 2031, a formal pilot plant with several excavators and tractors will be established. The facility will have a permanent processing plant and storage facilities capable of producing tons of water, oxygen, and hydrogen. By the end of 2034, OffWorld plans to have an industrial-scale ISRU plant operational, with a capacity of hundreds of tons of volatiles, elements, and bulk regolith per year.
In concluding his presentation, Bienhoff said Offworld's long-term vision for lunar operations includes: “Industrial-scale ISRU, tens to hundreds of tons of product per year – under production [я имею в виду] recycled regolith, oxygen, hydrogen, water, maybe metals. We plan to monetize or use every gram we dig up. It's a tall order, but to have a thriving lunar community, we need to produce as much as possible on the moon, for the moon, before we even think about exporting from the moon.”
Translation: Alexander Tarlakovsky (blog tay-ceti)
Original: Offworld's Prospector 1 mission to demonstrate ISRU on the Moon
