Reseach Prospects of Lunar Polar Water Ice Resource In-Situ Utilization

Abstract

It is crucial to utilize water ice resources in the pole regions in order to support the construction and functions of the lunar base. Based on exploration and data analysis results of lunar missions，the distribution and existing form of water ice in the lunar poles are analyzed. Then，the technical scheme and implementation methods，as well as the developing trend of lunar polar resource utilization are introduced. The integrated development and utilization scheme of photothermal drilling is introduced in detail. The experimental model of surface water ice extraction principle is carried out, and the water extraction test of ground water bearing sand soil is carried out. The experimental results show that the device can achieve a water extraction rate of more than 30 g / h and a water extraction capacity of about 4 kg / h / m³ in the soil with 5 wt% water content，Finally some key problems and technical challenges of key technical aspects for water ice utilizing are discussed，including prospection，extraction，condensation and collection，and transferring of water ice. This paper aims to provide the reference for China’s lunar polar resource utilization.

Keywords

in-situ resource utilization / water ice / lunar pole / lunar base