In less than three years, astronauts will return to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. As part of the Artemis Program, the purpose is not just to send manned missions to the lunar surface to explore and collect samples.
This time, there is also the goal of establishing vital infrastructures (such as the Lunar Gateway and a base camp) that allow for “sustained lunar exploration”.
A key requirement for this ambitious plan is energy supply, which can be difficult in regions such as the South Pole Basin-Aitken, a cratered region that is permanently overshadowed.
To address this, a researcher at NASA’s Langley Research Center named Charles Taylor has proposed a new concept known as the “Light Bender”. Through the telescope’s optics, this system would capture and distribute sunlight to the Moon.
The Light Bender concept was one of 16 proposals selected for Phase I of the 2021 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which is overseen by NASA’s Space Technology Mission (STMD) Directorate.
As with previous NIAC presentations, those selected proposals represent a wide range of innovative ideas that could help advance NASA’s space exploration goals.
In this case, Light Bender’s proposal meets the needs of the astronauts who will be part of the Artemis missions and the “Long-Term Human Surface Presence” that will follow.
Taylor’s concept design was inspired by the heliostat, a device that adjusts to compensate for the apparent movement of the Sun in the sky so that it keeps reflecting sunlight toward a target.
In the case of Light Bender, the optics of the Cassegrain telescope are used to capture, concentrate and focus sunlight while a Fresnel lens is used to align the light beams for distribution to multiple sources located at distances of 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) or more. This light is received by photovoltaic matrices 2 to 4 meters in diameter that convert sunlight into electricity.
In addition to habitats, the Light Bender is capable of supplying power to cryogenic refrigeration units and mobile assets such as rovers.
This type of matrix could also play an important role in creating vital infrastructures by providing energy to on-site resource utilization elements (ISRUs), such as for vehicles to collect local regulations for use in modules. 3-D printer (which will be used to build surface structures).
As Taylor described in his statement on NIAC’s Phase I proposal: “This concept is superior to alternatives such as highly inefficient laser power transmission, as it only converts light into electricity once and into traditional distribution architectures. The value of Light Bender’s proposal is a ~ 5x mass reduction in mass compared to traditional technology solutions, such as Laser Power Beaming or a cable-based distribution network. high voltage power supply. “
But perhaps the main attraction of this system is the way it can distribute energy systems to craters on the lunar surface with permanent shadow, which are common in the southern polar region of the Moon.
In the coming years, several space agencies, including NASA, ESA, Roscomos, and the National Space Agency of China (CNSA), hope to establish long-term habitats in the area due to the presence of water ice. and other resources.
The power level provided by the system is also comparable to the Kilopower concept, a proposed nuclear fission energy system designed to allow long-term stays on the Moon and other bodies.
According to reports, this system will provide a power of 10 electric kilowatts (kWe), the equivalent of a thousand watts of electrical capacity.
“In the initial design, the main mirror captures the equivalent of almost 48 kWe of sunlight,” Taylor writes. “The end user’s electrical power depends on the distance from the main collection point, but subsequent wrapping analyzes suggest there will be at least 9kWe of continuous power within 1km.”
On top of all this, Taylor points out that the total amount of energy the system can generate is scalable.
Basically, it can be increased simply by resizing the primary collection element, the size of the receiving elements, the distance between the nodes, or simply increasing the total number of sunlight collectors on the surface. As time goes on and more infrastructure is added to a region, the system can be scaled to fit.
As with all proposals selected for Phase I of the NIAC 2021 program, Taylor’s concept will receive a grant from NASA for up to $ 125,000.
All phase I fellows are in an initial nine-month feasibility study period, where designers will evaluate various aspects of their designs and address predictable issues that could affect the operations of the concepts once they are operating in the watershed. pole south-Aitken.
In particular, Taylor will focus on how the optical lens could be improved based on different designs, materials, and coatings that would result in acceptable levels of light propagation.
It will also evaluate how the lens could be designed so that it can be deployed autonomously once it reaches the lunar surface. Possible methods for autonomous deployment will be the subject of further studies.
Following the design / feasibility study, an assessment of architectural alternatives for Light Bender will be conducted in the context of a lunar base located near the South Pole of the Moon during sustained lunar surface operations.
The main figure of merit will be the minimization of landed mass. Comparisons will be made with known power distribution technologies, such as cables and laser power transmissions.
Once these feasibility studies have been completed, Light Bender and other phase I fellows will be eligible for the phase II awards. Jenn Gustetic, director of innovations and partnerships in the early stages of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Management (STMD), said:
“NIAC fellows are known to dream of large proportions of technologies that may seem bordering on science fiction and that are unlike research funded by other agency programs. We don’t expect them all to come to fruition, but we recognize that providing a small amount of seed funding for early research could greatly benefit NASA in the long run. “
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.