Planning a Lunar Mine to Recover Hydrous Ore Deposits

摘要

Reports of the discovery of near surface ice deposits in the regolith at the lunar poles by the Lunar Prospector have renewed interest in the possibility of using indigenous water resources to support future lunar exploration. Previous research efforts of the Author were directed toward the conceptual development and economic analysis of a mining system for the extraction of water from a near surface permafrost zone overlain by friable regolith similar to the deposits recently discovered by the Lunar Prospector. The successful planning and development of a safe and efficient lunar mine will require the completion of an exploration program to identify a mineable hydrous ore body, and the design and testing of lunar mining equipment and operating procedures.