Microwave Heating Demonstrator (MHD) payload – for fabricating construction components and extracting resources

Lim, S.; Garbayo, A.; Reeve, S.; Lekuona, E.; Morse, A.; Le Toux, T.; Bowen, J. and Anand, M. (2021). Microwave Heating Demonstrator (MHD) payload – for fabricating construction components and extracting resources. In: Space Resources Week, 19-22 Apr 2021, Luxemburg (Online).

Abstract

Lunar regolith could be thermally treated to extract resources and build an outer habitat shell using additive manufacturing techniques (a.k.a. 3D printing) by robots [1]. Proof of concept experiments has demonstrated that microwaves couple efficiently with lunar regolith and sinter/melt it to build 3D structures and enable resource extraction [2]. However, there are still several questions that can only be answered through experiments on the Moon surface. Thus, the Open University (OU) initiated a collaborative project MARVEL (Microwave heating Apparatus for Regolith Variant Experiments for Lunar ISRU), with Added Value Solutions UK Ltd. and VIPER RF. The team aims to prepare the groundwork for the UK to lead the development of a Microwave Heating Demonstrator (MHD) payload on future missions to the Moon with the flight hardware being developed and built in the UK. The initial concept development of the MHD payload was completed with support from UKSA’s NSTP GEI funding (Figure 1 [3]).
In this presentation, we will report the current progress of the MHD development conducted through the NSTP Pathfinder grant, focusing on the challenges with cavity design and the concept of a 1 kW solid-state microwave generator that could be used for future lunar missions.

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