Open Access

A Conceptual Open Pit Mine Architecture for the Moon Environment

Karol Seweryn
Karol Seweryn
, 
Adam Kolusz
Adam Kolusz
, 
Izabela Świca
Izabela Świca
, 
Arkadiusz Tkacz
Arkadiusz Tkacz
, 
Alberto Gallina
Alberto Gallina
, 
Jacek Katzer
Jacek Katzer
, 
Janusz Kobaka
Janusz Kobaka
, 
Petr Konecny
Petr Konecny
 and 
Przemysław Młynarczyk
Przemysław Młynarczyk
   | Apr 09, 2024
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Published Online: Apr 09, 2024
Page range: 11 - 41
Received: Jun 26, 2023
Accepted: Feb 12, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/arsa-2024-0002
Keywords
© 2024 Karol Seweryn et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Figure 1.

The BLSS scheme includes the cultivation of microalgae in PBR and soybeans in the greenhouse as an oxygen source as well as food. Red arrows indicate waste generated during the mission from the crew (wastewater, carbon dioxide). Green arrows are goods like oxygen and food which are obtained from microalgae and plant cultivation. The blue arrow indicates nutrients provided from microalgae biomass (nitrogen, phosphorus) to plant cultivation. Created with BioRender.com
The BLSS scheme includes the cultivation of microalgae in PBR and soybeans in the greenhouse as an oxygen source as well as food. Red arrows indicate waste generated during the mission from the crew (wastewater, carbon dioxide). Green arrows are goods like oxygen and food which are obtained from microalgae and plant cultivation. The blue arrow indicates nutrients provided from microalgae biomass (nitrogen, phosphorus) to plant cultivation. Created with BioRender.com

Figure 2.

Reference astronaut’s daily water mass balance takes into account water demand and the source of water from the human body. Blue arrows indicate drinking water, food preparation water, water in launched food, and metabolic water. Yellow arrows are perspiration and respiration water vapor, urine, and feces water. Data are taken from Ewert et al. (2019). Created with BioRender.com.
Reference astronaut’s daily water mass balance takes into account water demand and the source of water from the human body. Blue arrows indicate drinking water, food preparation water, water in launched food, and metabolic water. Yellow arrows are perspiration and respiration water vapor, urine, and feces water. Data are taken from Ewert et al. (2019). Created with BioRender.com.

Figure 3.

Open pit mine block diagram describing the flow of lunar regolith, products, and reactants between processes
Open pit mine block diagram describing the flow of lunar regolith, products, and reactants between processes

Figure 4.

Timeframe of critical phases of an open pit mine development and operation
Timeframe of critical phases of an open pit mine development and operation

Figure 5.

A schematic view of the proposed mining site. The site's vertical boundary is set at a depth of 10 m, based on average regolith layer estimates. The pit's average width is 30 m, with lengths determined by regolith mass requirements: 49.9 m during construction and 158.6 m (annually) during exploitation. The pit walls have a slope angle of 60°, chosen for safety despite the Moon's lower gravity. The haul road has a grade of 20%, with an elevation spread over a distance of 50 m, split into two 25-m sections on the pit's narrower side.
A schematic view of the proposed mining site. The site's vertical boundary is set at a depth of 10 m, based on average regolith layer estimates. The pit's average width is 30 m, with lengths determined by regolith mass requirements: 49.9 m during construction and 158.6 m (annually) during exploitation. The pit walls have a slope angle of 60°, chosen for safety despite the Moon's lower gravity. The haul road has a grade of 20%, with an elevation spread over a distance of 50 m, split into two 25-m sections on the pit's narrower side.

Figure 6.

Topology of the proposed open pit mine. Black rectangles describe the mine site, access ramps are indicated in red/black, red/yellow circles represent regolith storage, while blue and black dots show the storage of fluids. Rounded rectangles represent greenhouse (green), habitat (blue), and hydrogen reduction reactor (white) structures. Size of components are in geometrical scale.
Topology of the proposed open pit mine. Black rectangles describe the mine site, access ramps are indicated in red/black, red/yellow circles represent regolith storage, while blue and black dots show the storage of fluids. Rounded rectangles represent greenhouse (green), habitat (blue), and hydrogen reduction reactor (white) structures. Size of components are in geometrical scale.

Products (reactants) from selected processes

Mass in tonnes Process H2O H2 O2 CO2 Plants/food Algae
Construction of habitat Hydrogen reduction 39.4
Greenhouse construction Hydrogen reduction 118.2
Crew Electrolysis 0.03 0.25
Life support 0.73
PBR 0.4 0.29
Cultivation 0.08 0.07
Sum Construction 157.53 0.03 0.73 0.73 0.07 0.29
Sum Operations 0.00 0.03 0.73 0.73 0.07 0.29

Demand for reactants in different states to carry out selected processes

Mass in tonnes Process H2 O2 Algae Plants/food N P K CO2 H2O Binder
Construction of habitat Hydrogen reduction 4.36
Construction of roads Compaction 270.0
Greenhouse construction Hydrogen reduction 13.08
Crew Electrolysis 0.28
Life support 0.7 0.26 0.07 4
Fertilization 0.03
PBR 0.00 0.50 70
Cultivation 0.001 0.11 87
Sum Construction 17.44 0.73 0.29 0.07 0.0013 0.001 0.001 0.61 161.28 270.00
Sum Operations 0.00 0.73 0.29 0.07 0.0013 0.001 0.001 0.61 161.28 0.00

Products (regolith in different states) from selected processes

Regolith mass, t/year Process R0 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
Selling regolith Excavation 68,959
Magnetic separation 6,206 62,753
Construction of habitat Excavation 6,662
Magnetic separation 2,495 375 3,793
Hydrogen reduction 340
Construction of roads Excavation 297
Magnetic separation 27 270
Greenhouse construction Excavation 19,987
Magnetic separation 7,484 1,125 11,378
Hydrogen reduction 1,021
Construction of storage Excavation 5,376
Magnetic separation 484 4,892
Crew Excavation 440
Magnetic separation 40 400
Fertilization 400
Sum Construction 0 55,852 3,230 47,435 2,722 400
Sum Operations 0 85,633 7,707 92,698 1,361 400

Demand for tonnes of regolith (substrate) in different states to carry out the selected processes

Regolith mass, t/year Process R0 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
Selling regolith Excavation 68,959
Magnetic separation 68,959
Construction of habitat Excavation 6,662
Magnetic separation 4,168
Hydrogen reduction 375
Backfilling 2,495 340
Construction of roads Excavation 1,780
Magnetic separation 1,780
Compaction 1,620
Greenhouse construction Excavation 19,987
Magnetic separation 12,503
Hydrogen reduction 1,125
Backfilling 7,484 1,021
Construction of storage Excavation 5,376
Magnetic separation 5,376
Compaction 4,789
Backfilling 103
Recultivation 60,000
Crew Excavation 440
Magnetic separation 440
Fertilization 400
Cultivation 400
Sum Construction 45,103 35,893 3,001 12,699 1,361 400
Sum Operations 85,633 85,633 1,501 60,000 0 400

Numerical values of coefficients from equations 1 to 8

Process Name Symbol Value Process Name Symbol Value
Excavation R0 regolith αex1 1 Cultivation R5 regolith αct1 1
R1 regolith αex2 1 H2O αct2 0.217
Magnetic separation R1 regolith αms1 1 CO2 αct3 0.00045
R2 regolith αms2 0.090 Plants/food αct4 0.00017
R3 regolith αms3 0.910 R5 regolith αct6 1
Hydrogen reduction R2 regolith αhr1 1 Photobio-reactor H2O αpb1 1
H2 αhr2 0.012 CO2 αpb2 0.00714
H2O αhr3 0.105 Wastewater αpb3 0.05
R4 regolith αhr4 0.907 Microalgae αpb4 0.00428
Electrolysis H2O αel1 1 O2 αpb5 0.00571
H2 αel2 0.111 H2O αpb6 0.6
O2 αel3 0.889 N αpb7 0.00019
Backfilling R1 regolith αbf1 0.880 P αpb8 0.000014
R4 regolith αbf2 0.120 Waste utilization CO2 αwu1 0.2
Shield αbf3 1 Wastewater αwu2 1
Compaction R3 regolith αcp1 0.500 O2 αwu3 0.15
Binder αcp2 0.500 H20 αwu4 1
Road αcp3 1 Life support O2 αls1 0.175
Fertilization R3 regolith αft1 0.999 H2O αls2 1
Microalgae αft2 0.000075 Plants/food αls3 0.0175
K αft3 0.0000025 Microalgae αls4 0.065
R5 regolith αft4 1 CO2 αls5 0.2
Wastewater αls6 1
eISSN:
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Language:
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