Two official NASA internal documents provide unique details of plans developed by NASA during the Constellation program era for human and robotic lunar surface activities, including the possibility of lunar mining and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The first document is titled NASA Lunar Mining & Construction Activities and Plans. "One area NASA is developing that can significantly change how systems required for sustained human presence are designed and integrated, as well as potentially break our reliance on Earth supplied logistics, is In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). ISRU, also known "living off the land", involves the extraction and processing of local resources into useful products. In particular, the ability to make propellants, life support consumables, fuel cell reagents, and radiation shielding can significantly reduce the cost, mass, and risk of sustained human activities beyond Earth. Also, the ability to modify the lunar landscape for safer landing, transfer of payloads from the lander an outpost, dust generation mitigation, and infrastructure placement and buildup are also extremely important for long-term lunar operations. While extra-terrestrial excavation, material handling and processing, and site preparation and construction may be new to NASA and other space agencies, there is extensive terrestrial hardware and commercial experience that can be leveraged. This paper will provide an overview of current NASA activities in lunar ISRU mining and construction and how terrestrial experience in these areas are important to achieving the goal of affordable and sustainable human exploration." The second document is titled Lunar Surface Reference Missions - A Description of Human and Robotic Surface Activities. " The organization of this document begins with a description of several major objectives of renewed exploration of the Moon: (1) Scientific exploration; (2) Determining the suitability of the Moon as the basis for astronomical and other observations; (3) Developing technology and conducting tests relevant to long-term human stays on the Moon; (4) Developing technology and conducting tests of technical and human systems relevant to the human exploration of Mars and beyond; (5) Testing technologies and conducting investigations that can lead to economically beneficial activities on the moon; and (6) Understanding the conditions under which crew health, safety and performance and effective facility operations can be extended for long-duration missions. For each of these areas, the rationale for the activities, their scope and scale, how they might be accomplished, and the functions required to conduct them, are provided. Many of the capabilities required to carry out the objectives are common between objectives, so they are presented and discussed in a section that describes major functional requirements, such as field investigations, mobility, sample analysis, teleoperations, and various crew functions. These are the functions that must be carried out on the lunar surface. Missions will be designed to allow some or all of these functions to be conducted to achieve specific mission objectives, which may differ from mission to mission. Finally, scenarios are provided for two classes of missions: (1) a short-stay time mission, similar to Apollo, in which 4 astronauts spend four days on the lunar surface; and (2) a longer stay time mission, with the capability to support 4 people for 30 days on the Moon. In the long stay time missions, it is possible to add infrastructure incrementally that builds toward even longer stay times for crews on subsequent visits. To provide a true test bed for human exploration of Mars, infrastructure suitable for stays of up to 18 months with crews of 6 or more people on the lunar surface could be required. Construction of these scenarios allows a visualization of potential missions.

When the Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, they made a very important discovery. During their landing on the surface of the Moon, the exhaust gases released from the Lunar Module landing rockets caused large amounts of surface dust to move into the thin lunar atmosphere, causing obscuration of the lunar surface. Once they landed, they found that the surface of the Moon was covered with several inches of very fine, tiny particles composed of sharp, glassy material. The lunar dust stuck to everything it came in contact with, and, once on the lunar surface, the dust eroded their spacesuits, caused overheating on equipment and instrumentation, compromised seals on their spacesuits and on lunar sample collecting boxes, irritated their eyes and lungs, and generally coated everything very efficiently. On the return to Earth in the Apollo Command Module, lunar dust inadvertently brought aboard floated freely in their cabin causing problems. Now, 50 years later, humans will return to the Moon in the Artemis Program, as early as 2024. This book summarizes what we know about lunar dust, its structure and chemical composition, its impact on human health, and how to reduce/mitigate its effects on future human exploration. The four dozen contributors to the 14 chapters in the book are planetary scientists, engineers, mission planners, medical researchers and physicians from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as universities and industry from the United States, Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden.

The goals and objectives of future lunar exploration are defined in terms of science, preparation for long-duration stays on the Moon, preparation for human exploration of Mars, exploring the possibility of economic uses of the Moon, and maintaining the health and performance of humans and machines on the Moon. These objectives can be met by carrying out a set of functional activities on the Moon such as scientific field investigations; sample collection and analysis; deployment of surface scientific instruments such asseismometers and telescopes; teleoperation of exploration and technology demonstration systems; intravehicular activity, maintenance and repair; and other activities. These are combined into a set of surface exploration mission options. Short-stay missions that principally address scientific and technology verification are defined for three different types of sites, and long-stay missions, which can build up infrastructure for longer duration stays, are defined for two sites, including a south polar site. Representative timelines for crew surface activities are presented.

This extraordinary book details how the Moon could be used as a springboard for Solar System exploration. It presents a realistic plan for placing and servicing telescopes on the Moon, and highlights the use of the Moon as a base for an early warning system from which to combat threats of near-Earth objects. A realistic vision of human development and settlement of the Moon over the next one hundred years is presented, and the author explains how global living standards for the Earth can be enhanced through the use of lunar-based generated solar power. From that beginning, the people of the Earth would evolve into a spacefaring civilisation.

Long before Galileo published his discoveries about Jupiter, lunar craters, and the Milky Way in the Starry Messenger in 1610, people were fascinated with the planets and stars around them. That interest continues today, and scientists are making new discoveries at an astounding rate. Ancient lake beds on Mars, robotic spacecraft missions, and new definitions of planets now dominate the news. How can you take it all in? Start with the new Encyclopedia of the Solar System, Second Edition.This self-contained reference follows the trail blazed by the bestselling first edition. It provides a framework for understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system, historical discoveries, and details about planetary bodies and how they interact—and has jumped light years ahead in terms of new information and visual impact. Offering more than 50% new material, the Encyclopedia includes the latest explorations and observations, hundreds of new color digital images and illustrations, and more than 1,000 pages. It stands alone as the definitive work in this field, and will serve as a modern messenger of scientific discovery and provide a look into the future of our solar system.· Forty-seven chapters from 75+ eminent authors review fundamental topics as well as new models, theories, and discussions· Each entry is detailed and scientifically rigorous, yet accessible to undergraduate students and amateur astronomers· More than 700 full-color digital images and diagrams from current space missions and observatories amplify the chapters· Thematic chapters provide up-to-date coverage, including a discussion on the new International Astronomical Union (IAU) vote on the definition of a planet· Information is easily accessible with numerous cross-references and a full glossary and index

Fresh concrete is generally featured in publications on concrete technology where the focus is often on fundamental rheology or diverse research methods, or the standards describe the tests but do not provide practical advice on interpretation of the results. This book aims to fill the gap between highly scientific and fundamental works and the many fragmented test specifications. It summarises the existing knowledge on the properties of fresh concrete in a form accessible to practicing engineers and concrete technologists. It includes a manual of practical tests which cover both the standard tests in major countries and new tests specifically applicable to site testing. The testing equipment required and the procedures are described in sufficient detail for the tests to be carried out, with references to selected national standards when compliance with specific conditions applicable in those countries is required. Particular attention is paid to properties of special fresh concrete mixes which are increasingly used in practical construction. The work will be of interest to engineers and others involved in the research, development, design and execution of concrete construction, including those working in EEC countries.

The Earth has limited material and energy resources. Further development of the humanity will require going beyond our planet for mining and use of extraterrestrial mineral resources and search of power sources. The exploitation of the natural resources of the Moon is a first natural step on this direction. Lunar materials may contribute to the betterment of conditions of people on Earth but they also may be used to establish permanent settlements on the Moon. This will allow developing new technologies, systems and flight operation techniques to continue space exploration. In fact, a new branch of human civilization could be established permanently on Moon in the next century. But, meantime, an inventory and proper social assessment of Moon’s prospective energy and material resources is required. This book investigates the possibilities and limitations of various systems supplying manned bases on Moon with energy and other vital resources. The book collects together recent proposals and innovative options and solutions. It is a useful source of condensed information for specialists involved in current and impending Moon-related activities and a good starting point for young researchers.