what is it and how do they intend to develop it?

This is the name for the concept of developing economic activity on the Moon, everything is simple. Within its framework, the possibility of using the resources of the Moon for various purposes is considered, such as mining, scientific research, tourism, manufacturing, etc.

In connection with the development of a variety of technologies, humanity has new opportunities for the exploration of the Moon. This can be done through both public and private programs.

Who is going to explore the Moon?

In general, there are several countries on the list of contenders, including the USA, China, India, EU states, and the Russian Federation. But today we’ll talk about the States, since they are now at the stage of implementing the initial plan to work on the Moon.

Thus, NASA is currently developing the Artemis project to send a man to the Moon. It consists of several stages, including the flight of astronauts to the Earth’s satellite, conducting scientific research, establishing a base on the Moon, etc. At the same time, NASA plans to create conditions for the development of commercial and economic opportunities on the Moon. This could be resource extraction, tourism, scientific research, etc. – NASA hopes to attract organizations and states to participate in the development and use of the Moon for commercial purposes.

Of course, the concept of creating lunar economy requires solving key problems and ensuring success factors. So, the Moon should have resources that can be commercially exploited, such as minerals or water, as well as opportunities for scientific research. For the lunar economy to function successfully, it will be necessary to develop new space vehicles and infrastructure for transporting goods and people between the Moon and Earth.

DARPA is also actively involved in such initiatives. DARPA has extensive experience developing and implementing new technologies and is a leading advocate for defense innovation. For example, it was this agency that purchased the first Falcon 1 launch from SpaceX.

Last year, DARPA announced the launch of a research project LunA-10 to study the potential for developing a lunar economy by 2035. This will allow us to assess the prospects of the Moon in terms of economic opportunities and the development of innovative technologies. In addition, DARPA is actively collaborating with a number of companies, including SpaceX, Northrop Grumman and Nokia, to build infrastructure and services on the Moon.

Maj. Michael “Orbit” Nayak, DARPA program manager, published a paper earlier this month based on what was learned from recent research. “Based on the technical work and development conducted as part of the LunA-10 study, I have identified six hypotheses in which acceleration in the deployment of the lunar economy will be feasible subject to revolutionary breakthroughs in technology,” Nayak wrote in article. These are the points.

In search of industrial innovation

Last week DARPA officially requested information based on ideas and suggestions from Nayak's article. In particular, the agency is interested in data on technological capabilities that can be used to increase the exploration of the Earth's natural satellite and develop commercial activities on the Moon. A request has been sent for information on the following topics:

1. District heating and cooling

The diurnal cycle of the Moon suggests that a significant part of the surface of the Earth's satellite is in darkness for 14 days, and then illuminated for the same amount of time. This will create problems with temperature conditions, since the surface of the Moon gets very hot and then cools. Perhaps the industry is faced with the question of creating a centralized, universal source of heating and cooling that could take advantage of this feature of our satellite.

2. Lunar exploration

Scientists are almost sure that there is water and oxygen at the poles of the Moon, but to develop the lunar economy, it is necessary to know more about all the resources that are available there: metals, minerals and chemical elements. DARPA is ready to collaborate with satellite manufacturers who could conduct detailed reconnaissance and study of the Moon from an altitude of just 15 kilometers above its surface. Subsequent actions also require a detailed understanding of the composition and distribution of resources on the Moon.

3. Silicon wafer production

It sounds fantastic, but there is a grain of truth here. The fact is that the Earth’s satellite has excellent conditions for organizing the production of various electronic components. There is also a possibility that the production conditions for silicon wafers are similar to industrial facilities for processing lunar regolith. “Silicon crystallization occurs at a temperature of 1,425 degrees Celsius, which is approximately the temperature at which pilot plants intend to operate to extract oxygen from lunar regolith,” the paper says.

4. Microbial bioproduction

Microorganisms can process a wide variety of materials to produce food, pharmaceuticals, and other useful substances. The goal of microbial biomanufacturing on the Moon is to use local materials in combination with biotechnological methods to create various components, such as industrial fuels, lubricants, etc., necessary for habitability and the deployment of production on the Moon. One of the main aspects of this concept is the creation of a closed cycle of production and processing of resources on the Moon. Instead of relying on constant supplies from Earth, using local resources and microbial biotechnology will create a self-sustaining system.

5. Mining resources in low gravity

Previously, such valuable elements as uranium and thorium were discovered on the Moon. But their low concentration makes extraction difficult. DARPA is looking for innovative approaches and ideas so that the process of mining everything that may be of interest to humanity can be established on the Earth's satellite. For thorium and uranium, lunar or asteroid regolith must be enriched and purified to extract these elements, even if their concentration is less than 100 parts per million.

6. Lunar navigation system

Therefore, DARPA is looking for technologies that can provide low power consumption and reliable transmission of time data on the Moon, which will improve navigation and coordination of activities. By the way, right now China is creating such a system, as we recently wrote about.

It is worth noting that DARPA does not provide any funding for the preparation of responses. But if American companies can come up with innovative solutions to these technical problems, it is likely that the federal government will provide funds for their implementation. One must think that a new space race is now beginning – in order to obtain important resources for the Earth. If everything burns out, humanity will be able to become a civilization that has emerged from its cradle for further space exploration.