Lehrstuhl für Raumfahrttechnik
Technische Universität München
Virtual
Habitat
Lunar regolith handling
and thermal gas extraction
The Virtual Habitat (V-HAB) life
Simulation Infrastructure
support system (LSS) simulation
Crew Module
Biological
tool has been under development
Module
at TUM since 2006. The
MATLAB®-based software enables
dynamic simulations of spacecraft
and spacesuit life support systems
P/C
including their interactions with the
Module
environment and the humans
inside.
Built
upon
an
object-oriented framework, V-HAB
provides the capability for holistic,
multi-domain simulations for many
applications in closed environments. Using a set of intelligent, variable time step
solvers, a wide variety of physical, chemical and biological effects can be simulated.
V-HAB also includes a dynamic human physiology model to provide realistic inputs to
the LSS.
A V-HAB model of the International Space Stations LSS has been validated using
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Since 2009, TUM has been leading the DLR-funded research project LUISE (Lunar
In-Situ Resource Experiments), which covers supporting studies for future access to
lunar resources and possible utilization of such. LUISE and related projects include the
study of thermal properties of the lunar regolith and the development of thermal
extraction processes to release volatiles from lunar regolith (e.g. OH, H, H20, SWIP).
Furthermore the handling and transport of lunar samples is being investigated to
evaluate possible volatile loss along the sampling chain and to improve sample
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Lunar regolith heating and gas extraction experiments
Filter Store
Flow
Volume
(gas)
Simulation of Heat Transfer
in Lunar Regolith
exec():
p2p ƅow
rate
Filter
Bed
(solid)
Stamp heater concept for in-situ
thermal extraction of volatiles
Gas Analysis Unit
and Electronics
Supporting Structure /
Thermal Insulation
Core Tube
S TEPS
S
u
p
The Thermal Moon Simulator (TherMoS) is a dynamic thermal simulation
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calculate the dynamic radiative heat transfer between rovers or astronauts moving
through the lunar terrain made up of boulders and craters which create a varied
thermal environment.
In order to accurately calculate the temperatures of the lunar surface, TherMoS
includes a sophisticated thermal model of different kinds of lunar regolith coupled
with an orbit propagator, so for any point in time the surface temperatures can be
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instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
TherMoS is being used for path planning and optimization on the lunar surface as well
as in combination with a V-HAB-based spacesuit simulation called V-SUIT.
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of
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f
Thermal Moon
Simulator
es
ac
Simulation Duration: 100 h
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Lunar
surface
ROBEX &
Accelerators
The Helmholtz Alliance „Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments –
ROBEX“ brings together space and deep-sea research. At the TUM Institute
of Astronautics (LRT), several different optical and metallic materials are tested for
impact abrasion from lunar regolith. To achieve this, particles of the lunar regolith
simulant JSC-1A are accelerated to speeds of up to 360 m/s using an electromagnetic
eddy current accelerator developed at LRT. Investigations included changes in
sample mass, surface roughness and transmissivity, as well as the effect of different
impact angles.
Results show that even relatively low impact velocities below 150 m/s cause
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lodging of dust particles is a major contributor to surface degradation, especially for
ductile materials.
Supporting Structure
High Pressure Chamber
(Capillary with wire)
Hadley Rille Surface Temperatures
Hadley Rille Elevation Map
Electrode
Electrothermal Accelerator
Mass Range: mg - g
Velocity: < 5.5 km/s
Coaxial Plasma
Particle Impacts
Accelerator
with Compressor Coil
Barrel
Projectile
Capacitor Bank
Microscopic imagery of
three targeted materials
(from top to bottom):
glass, Makrolon®,
Aluminum
Spacesuit Model
Lunar Temperature model
comparison
400
-3
x 10
2
Cremers '71
Vasavada '99
Hale '02
TherMoS
350
Impact of a 2 mm
steel sphere
@ 280 m/s on a TiAl
alloy turbine blade
1.5
300
250
1
zloc [km]
Temperature, K
Switch
Mass Range: μg
Velocity: 5 - 12 km/s
Simulation of Micrometeoroids
and Space Debris
200
0.5
150
100
0
50
0
4
x 10
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Time, Lunation
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
0
-4
y
loc
[km]
-4
-2
0
2
xloc [km]
4
x 10
-4
Contact: Claas Olthoff, [email protected], +49 89 289 15997, www.astronautics.de
Impact induced arcing
of a solar cell bus bar