An Evolutionary Approach to Using Space Resources

In 1987 the "Ride Report" stated that, "Exploring and prospecting the Moon, learning to use lunar resources and work within lunar constraints, would provide the experience and expertise necessary for further human exploration of the solar system." It went on to assert that, "There is no doubt that exploring, prospecting, and settling Mars should be the ultimate objectives of human exploration. But America should not rush headlong toward Mars; we should adopt a strategy to continue an orderly expansion outward from Earth."

When we return to the Moon and proceed to Mars, we are not going there solely to utilize the resources. We are going

However, using lunar and Mars resources can have a major effect on the way we proceed, the cost of the program, its timetable, milestones along the way, and ultimately on whether the program is successful or not.

This view of Earth rising over the Moon brought back by Apollo 11 inspires us to once again accept the challenge of space exploration. This quest for an understanding of the universe in which we live can stir our children to learn more and so fulfill their potential. It will stimulate American industry by developing technology which will also provide benefits to Earth. It will allow us to unfold the mystery of how planets evolve and help us to understand our own planet better -a planet which is a fragile oasis in the vastness of space.
The real test of whether a program to put people permanently into space is successful is whether they stay. And people will only stay on the Moon and Mars if they learn how to use local resources to make their settlements permanent. Otherwise, the continual cost of supplying everything from Earth will become too great a burden, and these settlements will be abandoned.

An early pilot plant to begin production LOX is depicted here. It may require electric power, or it can be designed to provide its own power independent of the outpost. A small mining operation will supply it with raw material. The mining vehicles may be the same ones used for other operations at the outpost. These same vehicles will remove the tailings and replace them in the mine, thus minimizing the impact of such an operation on the lunar environment.
The timing, or phasing-in, of ISMU will be a natural evolution of productivity as power levels and capabilities increase. As in any market, the needs of the outpost will dictate what products are produced. Many technologies already exist and need only be modified for use in space. Robotic units sent ahead of crews will perform critical experiments. These units will be followed by engineering prototypes for the demonstration and verification of technologies and products. Each level will justify itself in terms of enhanced capabilities or cost benefit to the SEI. Each step forward will provide minimal risk and will have graceful upgrades and safe fallbacks. As pressurized living space is expanded, the material necessary for radiation protection shall, of necessity, be produced. This will also provide material for other uses at the outpost. The technology and vehicles used for mining this material will later be used to mine feedstock for a lunar LOX plant and perhaps burrow under the surface for the creation of inhabitable tunnels. As the reusability of landing vehicles is demonstrated, the manufacture of propellant (such as LOX) will be brought on-line: enough for ascent back to lunar orbit at first, but eventually enough to make a round trip. During this time the technology necessary for metal and light gas production will be developed, providing the flexibility for whatever avenues we choose to follow in our exploration of space, with little support required from Earth.

By mastering the details of this type of operation in an extra terrestrial environment, we will be using the Moon to learn how to operate with minimum dependence on Earth, a skill necessary to control the cost of expanding our presence in the solar system. In addition to the hard engineering technologies required to accomplish this task, the use of teleoperation, automation, and robotics will increase the capabilities of the outpost without a large cadre of astronauts.

This timing of the use of lunar and Mars resources must fit into the overall mission of a lunar and Mars program. In some mission "architectures," only simple products will be possible because of the limited power, mass, and logistics available to produce them. Other schemes can be envisioned where the first flights bring large numbers of robotic processing plants so we can build up the outpost from local materials. A scaled-back, man-tended base would provide the core for this bootstrapping activity. Only after we can refuel landing vehicles and build structures would we attempt to bring down large payloads or increase stay times. The propellant for the Mars voyages might also be produced on the Moon, thus saving the enormous expense of lifting it from Earth. A number of similar concepts of varying complexity exist.

Once LOX has been produced at the lunar outpost, certain operations will be required to utilize it. Still to be determined is whether humans will be involved in propellant transfers to a lunar vehicle, as shown here, or whether this task will be performed robotically.
On Mars we will again develop the capability to extract those things from the local environment which we need for survival. The martian atmosphere can be used to provide oxygen for life support and eventually for propellant. Methane and water will be produced for a variety of uses. Schemes incorporating these concepts into robotic missions can provide an early demonstration of the technology and greatly increase the mass of a returned sample, while lowering the mass launched from Earth.