An Analysis of the Requirements for a Sustainable Lunar Transportation System to Enable Initial DIANA Infrastructure

Abstract

Abstract The Dedicated Infrastructure and Architecture for Near-Earth Astronautics (DIANA) is a design concept for a self-sustainable lunar village near the de Gerlache crater, on the lunar South Pole, comprising tourists and astronauts alike. The village will be permanently inhabited and will exploit future technologies to achieve independence from a majority of Earth resupply missions. Execution of the initial construction phase of the DIANA infrastructure depends primarily on the persistent supply of in-situ construction material, regolith. Lunar raw materials also primarily contribute to the life support systems (LSS) and the radiation protection for the inhabited modules. To enable ISRU, resources need to be transported using diverse locomotion systems on the unexplored lunar terrain. A self-sustainable lunar base requires to be built on an ecosystem that facilitates continuous transportation of materials, humans (astronauts and tourists) and robotic systems. This paper focuses on a detailed comprehension of the design, feasibility, and economic requirements of a transportation ecosystem concept explicitly dedicated to the establishment and development of the DIANA lunar village. The mission objectives and top level requirements pertaining to the individual transportation systems will be derived from the detected necessities that are defined for alternative transportation technologies that efficiently provide large amounts of lunar raw material for the construction of lunar infrastructure as well as water ice from the de Gerlache Crater, which shall primarily contribute to the LSS and the production of rocket fuel. While transporting humans, factors such as time, comfort, and risk mitigation play a major role, and are therefore, discussed thoroughly within the framework of this study. Using this study as the principal foundation, a phase 0/A design study illustrating a novel transportation infrastructure concept based on magnetic levitation technology would be developed for efficient transportation of resources and people across the lunar surface. This transportation concept shall be sustainably manufactured using the abundant lunar resources to minimize costs and resupply missions in the long term to pave the way for an independent lunar village.