Lunar Robotic Construction System Using Raw Regolith: System Engineering

This paper outlines the system engineering of a Lunar Robotic Construction System (LRCS) for the bagging and manipulation of Regolith Containment Units (RCUs) on the lunar surface. The lunar regolith is the most readily available material on the Moon’s surface, which can be utilized for the protection of structures, machines, and equipment from projectiles, thermal variations, and radiation. A mission scenario of employing the LRCS for the creation of a blast berm for landing pads is presented, and the subsystems are subsequently designed in detail. Structural and physical modeling of the LRCS is performed, including simulations of the regolith intake mechanism. An analysis of LRCS mass, power, and cost is also studied, completing its system engineering.