Lunar Polar Ice: Methods for Mining the New Resource for Exploration

The presence of ice in permanently shadowed depressions near the lunar poles and determination of its properties will significantly influence both the near- and long-term prospects for lunar exploration and development. Since data from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft indicate that water ice is likely present (the instrument measures hydrogen strongly suggests the presence of water), it is important to understand how to extract it for beneficial use, as well as how to preserve it for scientific analysis. Two types of processes can be considered for the extraction of water ice from the lunar poles. In the first case, energy is transported into the shadowed regions, ice is constrain models of impacts on the lunar surface and processed in-situ, and water is transported out of the cold trap. In the second case, ice-containing regolith can be mined in the cold trap, transported outside the cold trap, and the ice extracted in a location with abundant solar energy. A series of conceptual implementations has been examined and criteria have been developed for the selection of systems and subsystems for further study.