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>> WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON.
THIS TIME,
WE'RE GOING TO STAY.
WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON AS
A PROVING GROUND FOR LEARNING
HOW TO LIVE AND THRIVE
ON ANOTHER PLANETARY BODY
IN PREPARATION FOR FUTURE
MISSIONS TO MARS.
NASA ADMINISTRATOR
JIM BRIDENSTINE USES ONE WORD
REPEATEDLY WHEN DESCRIBING HOW
THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM DIFFERS
FROM THE APOLLO PROGRAM.
>> THE PRESIDENT'S FIRST SPACE
POLICY DIRECTIVE SAYS TO GO TO
THE MOON, GO SUSTAINABLY,
AND HAVE THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA LEAD A COALITION OF
NATIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE
RETURN TO THE MOON.
BY 2028, WE NEED SUSTAINABILITY.
WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON,
WE'RE GOING SUSTAINABLY,
WE'RE MOVING FAST.
>> "SUSTAINABLE."
WE ALSO HEAR OR SEE
THIS OR SIMILAR WORDS
IN MEDIA POSTINGS FROM
SPACE ENTREPRENEURS AND
INTERNATIONAL SPACE AGENCIES.
SUSTAINABLE, REUSABLE,
RESOURCES.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
BEFORE I ANSWER THAT,
LET'S TALK ABOUT
WHAT IT DOESN'T MEAN.
SO FAR, IN OUR FIFTY YEAR
HISTORY OF SENDING HUMANS
BEYOND EARTH ORBIT, WE HAVE
BROUGHT EVERYTHING WE NEED
FOR THE TRIP FROM HOME.
AND THE BULKIEST AND HEAVIEST
THING WE NEED IS THE ROCKET
PROPELLANT THAT GETS US OFF
EARTH AND SAFELY BACK.
WHEN THE SATURN V WAS SITTING
ON THE LAUNCH PAD, WE HAD BIG,
POWERFUL ROCKET ENGINES AT
THE BOTTOM AND A TINY HUMAN
SPACE CAPSULE AND LUNAR MODULE
AT THE TOP.
IN BETWEEN IS MOSTLY PROPELLANT.
OXYGEN AND KEROSENE
TO GET US OFF EARTH,
OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN TO
PUSH 'EM TO THE MOON,
AND STORABLE PROPELLANTS TO GET
DOWN TO THE LUNAR SURFACE,
BACK UP TO ORBIT, AND BACK HOME.
AND WHILE THE PROPELLANTS FOR
THE RETURN TRIP SEEMS
SMALL WHEN COMPARED TO
THE OTHER STAGES.
IT CAN HAVE A HUGE IMPACT
ON THE ENTIRE VEHICLE.
THINK OF WHAT HAPPENS TO
THE GAS MILEAGE IN THE FAMILY
MINIVAN ON A ROAD TRIP WHEN WE
START CLIMBING THE MOUNTAINS.
OR WORSE, WHEN WE START
CLIMBING THE MOUNTAINS,
CARRYING PRECIOUS VACATION GEAR.
IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
THE FAMILY MINIVAN HAD A PULL
OF TANKER OF GAS OVER THOSE
MOUNTAINS IN ORDER TO
REFUEL FOR THE TRIP HOME.
AS AMUSING AS THIS IMAGE IS,
BECAUSE WE ALL REALIZE HOW
UNSUSTAINABLE THIS METHOD OF
VACATIONING WOULD BE,
THIS IS EXACTLY HOW WE HAVE
EXPLORED SPACE, UNTIL NOW.
SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO
CHANGE THIS PARADIGM?
WE'RE GOING TO BUILD
A GAS STATION ON THE MOON
FOR THE ASTRONAUTS TO REFUEL
THEIR VEHICLE FOR THE TRIP HOME.
OF COURSE, GAS STATIONS ONLY
DISPENSE THE GAS, SO WE WILL
ALSO NEED THE EQUIPMENT TO
GATHER THE RAW RESOURCES,
AND A REFINERY TO PROCESS
THOSE RESOURCES INTO
ROCKET PROPELLANT.
WE CALL THIS
"IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION,"
OR ISOU FOR SHORT.
OUR ANCESTORS CALLED IT
"LIVING OFF THE LAND."
WE ESTIMATE THAT WE WILL NEED
APPROXIMATELY TWELVE TONS OF
OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN PROPELLANT
TO REFUEL THE LANDER,
GET IT BACK UP TO LUNAR ORBIT
SO WE CAN USE IT AGAIN
ON THE NEXT TRIP.
IF WE CAN MAKE THAT TWELVE TONS
ON THE LUNAR SURFACE,
WE WOULDN'T NEED TO
BRING IT FROM EARTH.
WHILE THIS SOUNDS LIKE A HUGE
SAVINGS ON ITS OWN,
BECAUSE LUNAR ASCENT IS
THE LAST PHASE OF THE MISSION,
ANY SAVINGS ARE LIKE
COMPOUNDED INTEREST,
AND THAT 12 TONS NEEDED
AT THE END OF OUR TRIP CAN
ADD UP TO MUCH LARGER SAVINGS.
IN THE PREVIOUS TALK,
YOU HEARD ABOUT SOME OF
THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE TRIP TO THE MOON.
LET'S FOLLOW THAT
TRIP BACKWARDS.
ASSUMING WE MAKE JUST
ONE KILOGRAM OF PROPELLANT
ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.
IN ORDER TO LAND THAT ONE
KILOGRAM FROM LOW LUNAR ORBIT,
WE NEED ANOTHER ONE KILOGRAM
OF PROPELLANT IN TANKS,
WHICH WE ALSO DON'T NEED TO
BRING FROM EARTH WHEN MAKING
THE ONE KILOGRAM ON THE SURFACE.
OUR SAVINGS ARE AT TWO AND A--
K-- TWO KILOGRAMS.
CONTINUING BACKWARDS,
WE WOULD NEED ANOTHER
HALF KILOGRAM TO GET THAT
TWO KILOGRAMS FROM GATEWAY
DOWN TO LOW LUNAR ORBIT.
SO NOW WE HAVE SAVED
TWO AND A HALF KILOGRAMS.
AND EVEN WITH THE VERY EFFICIENT
SLOW ROAD TRIP THAT IS PLANNED
TO GET THE UNCREWED ELEMENTS
OUT TO GATEWAY, WE WOULD STILL
NEED MORE THAN SIX KILOGRAMS
OF PROPELLANT TO GET THAT
TWO AND A HALF KILOGRAMS
FROM LOW EARTH ORBIT
UP TO GATEWAY.
ADD IT ALL TOGETHER,
THAT ONE KILOGRAM WE MADE
ON THE LUNAR SURFACE HAS REDUCED
OUR MASS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT
BY ALMOST NINE KILOGRAMS,
WHICH MEANS THE ABILITY TO
MAKE TWELVE TONS ON
THE LUNAR SURFACE CAN REDUCE
OUR MASS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT
BY OVER ONE HUNDRED TONS.
ALSO, BECAUSE WE CAN
NOW REUSE THE LANDER,
WE REALIZE AN ADDITIONAL 18 TON
SAVINGS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT
BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROPELLANT
WE DON'T NEED TO PUSH
A NEW LANDER OUT
TO GATEWAY ON EVERY TRIP.
ALL TOGETHER,
PRODUCTION OF PROPELLANT
ENABLE REUSABLE LANDER COULD
RESULT IN 120 TONS LESS
AT THE START OF OUR TRIP,
A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION FROM
THE OLD WAY OF EXPLORING SPACE.
THIS SAVES SIGNIFICANT
LAUNCH COSTS, AND BRINGS
THE VISION OF SUSTAINED PRESENCE
ON THE LUNAR SURFACE
WITHIN OUR GRASP.
SO LET'S TALK NOW ABOUT SOME
OF THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDED
TO MAKE ISOU A REALITY.
NASA PLANS TO LAND
NEAR THE SOUTH POLE,
WHERE ORBITAL MISSIONS,
SUCH AS CLEMENTINE AND THE
LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER
DETECTED WATER SIGNATURES IN
AND NEAR THE PERMANENTLY
SHADOWED REGIONS.
AND THE PLUME CREATED WHEN
THE L-CROSS SPACECRAFT WAS
PURPOSEFULLY CRASHED INTO
CABEUS CRATER CONTAINED
HYDROGEN COMPONENTS EQUIVALENT
TO 5% WATER BY WEIGHT.
THIS DATA COMBINED HAS PAINTED
A PICTURE OF SIGNIFICANT WATER
RESOURCES, SHOWN HERE IN BLUE.
IF IT CAN BE HARVESTED FOR
LIFE SUSTAINING WATER AND AIR
FOR THE ASTRONAUTS, AS WELL
AS THE TONS OF PROPELLANT
FOR THE TRIP HOME.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO DIG UP
THE ICY REGOLITH AND DELIVER
IT TO A PROCESSING PLANT.
BUT NEWTON'S THIRD LAW OF MOTION
SAYS THAT FOR EVERY ACTION
THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE
REACTION, AND THE 1/6 GRAVITY
ON THE MOON MAKES IT DIFFICULT
TO FIND THE REACTION FORCE
NECESSARY FOR DIGGING
AND DRIVING.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON NEW WAYS
OF DIGGING IN COMPACT TO
GRANULAR REGOLITH AND IN
HARD MATERIALS, WHERE WE
MAY TAKE MANY SMALL SCOOPS
INSTEAD OF BIG SCOOPS,
PUSH SIDEWAYS AGAINST THE WHEELS
OF THE EXCAVATOR INSTEAD OF
IN LINE WITH THEM,
OR POSSIBLY DIG AT BOTH ENDS
TO PROVIDE THE REACTION FOR US.
WE ARE WORKING ON LIGHTWEIGHT
COMPLIANT WHEELS MADE OF WIRES
THAT REMEMBER THEIR ORIGINAL
SHAPE TO PROVIDE TRACTION
FOR OUR EXCAVATORS.
AND WE ARE DESIGNING
MOBILITY PLATFORMS WITH
EASILY-REPLACEABLE COMPONENTS
FOR PROLONGED LIFE WHEN
WE ARE SO FAR AWAY FROM
OUR FAVORITE MECHANIC.
ONCE WE HAVE GATHERED
THE RESOURCE, WE WILL BAKE IT
TO EXTRACT THE WATER,
POSSIBLY IN SOMETHING SIMILAR
TO A TERRESTRIAL SOIL DRYER,
EXCEPT ON EARTH, THEY ARE
INTERESTED IN THE DRY DIRT,
AND ON THE MOON AND MARS,
WE ARE INTERESTED IN
THE WATER THAT COMES OUT.
SO WHILE ALL OF THIS SOUNDS
SIMPLE ENOUGH-- KIND OF--
THERE'S STILL MANY CHALLENGES
TO GETTING TO THIS
EXCITING NATURAL RESOURCE
AND EXTRACTING THE WATER
FOR USE.
FIRST, THE WATER IS IN
PERMANENTLY SHADOWED REGIONS,
WHICH ARE
SURROUNDED BY SUNLIGHT,
BUT REMAIN IN PERMANENT SHADOW,
BECAUSE THEY ARE LOWER THAN
THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN.
TERRAIN MAPS OF THE AREA SAY
THAT THE PATH INTO THESE REGIONS
CAN BE LONG AND STEEP,
WITH MOST SLOPES GREATER THAN
FIFTEEN DEGREES,
SHOWN HERE IN GREEN,
PRESENTING SIGNIFICANT
CHALLENGES IF WE WANNA
CONTINUALLY DRIVE IN
TO GATHER THE RESOURCE
AND DRIVE BACK OUT TO DELIVER IT
TO THE PROCESSING PLANT.
AN ALTERNATIVE IS TO DO MORE
PROCESSING AT THE EXCAVATION
SITE, BAKING THE WATER OUT ON
A HOT PLATE AS WE DIG IT UP.
OF COURSE, THIS IS ALSO
NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.
AS WE HAVE DISCOVERED,
THAT THE DIRT FLOWS OVER
THE PLATE MUCH MORE QUICKLY
IN A VACUUM THAN IN OUR
INITIAL OPEN AIR TESTS,
AND SOME OF THE SIMULANTS
FALL OUT OF THE SCOOP
MORE EASILY THAN OTHERS,
LEAVING BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT HE--
ANY OF THIS WILL WORK IN
THE REAL LUNAR ENVIRONMENT.
UH, TO AVOID HAVING TO DIG UP
THE DIRT ALTOGETHER,
WE MAY TAKE INSPIRATION
FROM THE WORKINGS OF
A TERRESTRIAL ZAMBONI AND CREATE
A LUNAR ZAMBONI THAT HEATS
THE DIRT WITH MICROWAVES
AND COLLECTS THE EVOLVING WATER
AS IT ROVES THROUGH THE SHADOWS.
EXTRACTING THE WATER INSIDE
THE REGION AND STORING IT IN
A TANKER MEANS FEWER TRIPS
OUTSIDE OF THE REGION,
BUT MORE POWER INSIDE,
WHERE THAT SAME LACK OF SUNLIGHT
THAT'S GOOD FOR PRESERVING
THE ICE IS BAD WHEN WANTING
TO USE SOLAR ENERGY.
THEREFORE, PROCESSING INSIDE
THE SHADOWED REGIONS WILL
LIKELY REQUIRE SOME SORT OF
BEAMED ENERGY OR NUCLEAR POWER,
ANOTHER TECHNOLOGY BEING
DEVELOPED HERE AT
THE NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER.
IN ORDER TO MOVE TOWARD OUR
SUSTAINABILITY GOAL FASTER,
WE MAY START BY
PROCESSING THE REGOLITH
OUTSIDE THE SHADOW REGIONS,
WHERE WE STILL HAVE PLENTY
OF SUNLIGHT FOR SOLAR ENERGY.
THE LUNAR REGOLITH
CONTAINS OVER 40% OXYGEN,
BOUND UP IN A MIX OF MINERALS
COMPRISED OF METAL OXIDES,
SUCH AS IRON OXIDE
AND SILICON OXIDE.
BY PROCESSING THIS REGOLITH
AT HIGH TEMPERATURES
AND ADDING IN HYDROGEN, WE CAN
BREAK THE IRON OXIDE BONDS
AND EXTRACT THE OXYGEN
IN THE FORM OF WATER.
BY GOING TO EVEN HIGHER
TEMPERATURES AND INTRODUCING
CARBON IN THE FORM OF
METHANE GAS, MORE OF
THE METAL OXIDE BONDS CAN BE
BROKEN TO EXTRACT THE OXYGEN.
WHILE PRODUCTION OF OXYGEN ALONE
FROM THE REGOLITH
OUTSIDE THE SHADOWED REGIONS
DOES NOT GET US ALL THE WAY
TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS,
TEN OF THAT TWELVE TONS
OF PROPELLANT I SAID
WE NEEDED FOR THE TRIP HOME
IS OXYGEN.
SO IT IS A GOOD START.
AFTER ESTABLISHING A FOOTHOLD
ON THE EDGE OF THE COUNTRY,
OUR PIONEER ANCESTORS
BEGAN PUSHING WESTWARD.
WE CAN IMAGINE-- 'CAUSE WE'RE
A BUNCH OF ENGINEERS,
WE ACTUALLY DID THE MATH--
WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF THEIR
COVERED WAGONS FILLED WITH
THE POSSESSIONS AND TOOLS NEEDED
TO SURVIVE IN THE WILDERNESS
INSTEAD NEEDED TO CARRY
THE FOOD, WATER, AND AIR
FOR THE MULES PULLING THE WAGON?
ASSUMING SIX MULES CAN
PULL A TWO THOUSAND POUND WAGON
25 MILES A DAY,
AND THOSE SAME SIX MULES
REQUIRE EIGHTY-FIVE POUNDS
A DAY OF FOOD, WATER, AND AIR,
THEN OUR ANCESTORS
NEVER WOULD'VE MADE
THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.
THERE ARE MANY MORE PARTS WE'RE
WORKING ON TO COMPLETE OUR
COMBINATION MINE REFINERY
AND GAS STATION FOR
THE MOON AND MARS.
WHEN WE ARE DONE,
WE WILL HAVE DISCOVERED,
OR PERHAPS REDISCOVERED,
A NEW AND BETTER WAY
OF EXPLORING BEYOND
THE BOUNDS OF EARTH.
THANK YOU.
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