A mobile robotic platform for Autonomous Site Selection and Preparation (ASSP) was developed for an analogue deployment to Mauna Kea, Hawai‘i. A team of rovers performed an autonomous Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey and constructed a level landing pad. They used interchangeable payloads that allowed the GPR and blade to be easily exchanged. Autonomy was accomplished by integrating the individual hardware devices with software based on the ArgoSoft framework previously developed at UTIAS. The rovers were controlled by an on-board netbook. The successes and failures of the devices and software modules are evaluated within. Recommendations are presented to address problems discovered during the deployment and to guide future research on the platform.

A mobile robotic platform for Autonomous Site Selection and Preparation (ASSP) was developed for an analogue deployment to Mauna Kea, Hawai‘i. A team of rovers performed an autonomous Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey and constructed a level landing pad. They used interchangeable payloads that allowed the GPR and blade to be easily exchanged. Autonomy was accomplished by integrating the individual hardware devices with software based on the ArgoSoft framework previously developed at UTIAS. The rovers were controlled by an on-board netbook. The successes and failures of the devices and software modules are evaluated within. Recommendations are presented to address problems discovered during the deployment and to guide future research on the platform.

月あるいは火星近傍における持続可能な宇宙空間利用のために、月面および火星表層を覆う複合酸化物から成るレゴリスを資源としたその場資源利用に関する技術の発展が不可欠である。本研究では、不揮発不燃性の溶融塩を反応媒体に用い、電気化学プロセシングにより、その場資源であるレゴリスに含まれる有用な元素の分離・回収・利用する技術を新たに提案した。また、溶融ハライド塩中での各種金属元素やイオン及びその酸化物等の物理化学特性を明らかにした。 / High temperature molten salt plays a key role in power generation systems such as solar cells, nuclear fission reactor, and nuclear fusion reactor on the moon and Mars. In this thesis, the physicochemical phenomena of metallic atoms, metallic ions, and its oxides in molten halides were investigated in order to obtain fundamental knowledges for electrochemical/materials science and to develop electrochemical processing in molten salt for in-situ resource utilization. The significant effects of melt structure, melt composition, and interfacial flow phenomena on the Si electrodeposition process was discussed. The corrosion behavior of major alloys and a unique steel in molten halides was also discussed. / 博士(工学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

Exploring the Solar System is an ongoing process of humanity that cannot be stopped. It requires large amounts of resources to explore space, which need to be acquired from somewhere. Resources mined on Earth cannot be diverted from vital productions on Earth as those required for energy systems transition and developing a sustainable society. With an ever-increasing demand of resources on Earth, resource extraction needs to be increased and diverted to avoid resource depletion. One such diversion is resource extraction from terrestrial bodies other than Earth, such as asteroids, meteorites, and the Moon. This thesis looks at the resources present on the Moon by compiling a chemical database which is then fed to mathematical models aimed to compare historical trends of Earth mining operations and prospected trends from lunar resources. Such approach is expected to establish if lunar mining is viable. The results are discussed in a larger context of how lunar resources can be used for in-situ resource utilization for solar system exploration, as well as questions regarding space law and possible colonialization.

As research continues for the habitation of the Lunar and Martian surfaces, the need for materials for construction of structural parts, mechanical components, and tools remains as a major milestone. The use of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques is critical due to the financial, physical, and logistical burdens of sending supplies beyond low-Earth orbit. The Bosch process is currently in development as a life support system at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to regenerate oxygen (O2) from metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) with the byproduct of elemental carbon (C). The Bosch process presents a possible way of regenerating O2 without the disposal of hydrogen (H2) like the Sabatier. Ionic liquids (ILs) are also studied at MSFC as a means to harvest metallic elements from regolith oxides and meteorites. IL technology provides an energy efficient method of extracting critical manufacturing materials, such as iron (Fe) that could be used for ferrous alloy production. This dissertation seeks to explore the use of Bosch C and IL-Fe for ferrous alloy production through a series of studies. These studies included individually using Bosch C with commercial elements to cast low carbon steel and gray cast iron, investigating as-produced IL-Fe in a laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) printer to determine IL-Fe metallurgical characteristics, using the IL-Fe composition to design a ductile iron (DI) alloy of similar performance to a commercially available DI alloy, and lastly, refining this DI alloy to produce a DI alloy more representative of an alloy producible from IL-Fe and Bosch byproduct C in a Martian environment. The results presented here suggest that with advances in production rate and control of IL-Fe oxidation, and by providing a sufficient energy grid to operate equipment, a range of high quality DI materials could be manufactured with IL and Bosch process ISRU feedstocks.

This dissertation details the design and development of a mobile autonomous platform from which to conduct a 3D ground-penetrating radar survey. The system uses a three-rover multiagent team to perform a site-selection activity during a lunar analog mission. The work took place beginning in 2008 and culminated in a final field test on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. This demonstration of autonomous acquisition of 3D ground-penetrating radar in a space robtic application is promising not only for in-situ resource utilization, but also for the concept of multiagent teaming.

This dissertation details the design and development of a mobile autonomous platform from which to conduct a 3D ground-penetrating radar survey. The system uses a three-rover multiagent team to perform a site-selection activity during a lunar analog mission. The work took place beginning in 2008 and culminated in a final field test on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. This demonstration of autonomous acquisition of 3D ground-penetrating radar in a space robtic application is promising not only for in-situ resource utilization, but also for the concept of multiagent teaming.

<p> Inclement challenges of a changing climate and humanity's desire to explore extraterrestrial environments both necessitate efficient methods to obtain freshwater. To accommodate next generation water technology, there is a need for understanding and defining the energy efficiency for unconventional water sources over a broad range of environments. Exergy analysis provides a common description for efficiency that may be used to evaluate technologies and water sources for energy feasibility. This work uses robust thermodynamic theory coupled with atmospheric and planetary data to define water capture efficiency, explore its variation across climate conditions, and identify technological niches and development needs.  </p> <p><br></p> <p> We find that desalinating saline liquid brines, even when highly saline, could be the most energetically favorable option for obtaining water outside of Earth. The energy required to access water vapor may be four to ten times higher than accessing ice deposits, however it offers the capacity for decentralized systems. Considering atmospheric water vapor harvesting on Earth, we find that the thermodynamic minimum is anywhere from 0x (RH≥ 100%) to upwards of 250x (RH<10\%) the minimum energy requirement of seawater desalination. Sorbents, modelled as metal organic frameworks (MOFs), have a particular niche in arid and semi-arid regions (20-30%). Membrane-systems are best at low relative humidity and the region of applicability is strongly affected by the vacuum pumping efficiency. Dew harvesting is best at higher humidity and fog harvesting is optimal when super-saturated conditions exist. Component (e.g., pump, chiller, etc.) inefficiencies are the largest barrier in increasing process-level efficiency and strongly impact the regions optimal technology deployment. The analysis elucidates a fundamental basis for comparing water systems energy efficiency for outer space applications and provides the first thermodynamics-based comparison of classes of atmospheric water harvesting technologies on Earth.</p>

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