TY - JOUR A1 - Ginés-Palomares, Juan Carlos A1 - Fateri, Miranda A1 - Kalhöfer, Eckhard A1 - Schubert, Tim A1 - Meyer, Lena A1 - Kolsch, Nico A1 - Brandic Lipinska, Monica A1 - Davenport, Robert A1 - Imhof, Barbara A1 - Waclavicek, René A1 - Sperl, Matthias A1 - Makaya, Advenit A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Laser melting manufacturing of large elements of lunar regolith simulant for paving on the Moon N2 - The next steps for the expansion of the human presence in the solar system will be taken on the Moon. However, due to the low lunar gravity, the suspended dust generated when lunar rovers move across the lunar soil is a significant risk for lunar missions as it can affect the systems of the exploration vehicles. One solution to mitigate this problem is the construction of roads and landing pads on the Moon. In addition, to increase the sustainability of future lunar missions, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques must be developed. In this paper, the use of concentrated light for paving on the Moon by melting the lunar regolith is investigated. As a substitute of the concentrated sunlight, a high-power CO2 laser is used in the experiments. With this set-up, a maximum laser spot diameter of 100 mm can be achieved, which translates in high thicknesses of the consolidated layers. Furthermore, the lunar regolith simulant EAC-1A is used as a substitute of the actual lunar soil. At the end of the study, large samples (approximately 250 × 250 mm) with interlocking capabilities were fabricated by melting the lunar simulant with the laser directly on the powder bed. Large areas of lunar soil can be covered with these samples and serve as roads and landing pads, decreasing the propagation of lunar dust. These manufactured samples were analysed regarding their ineralogical composition, internal structure and mechanical properties. KW - Regolith KW - ISRU KW - Moon KW - Laser KW - Additive manufacturing PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-585985 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42008-1 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 13 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-58598 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ginés-Palomares, Juan-Carlos A1 - Baasch, Julian A1 - Stapperfend, Simon A1 - Facchini, Leonardo A1 - Linke, Stefan A1 - Stoll, Enrico A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Laser Melting vs. Laser Sintering: Large Area Heat Processing of Lunar South Pole Simulant N2 - A key component of future lunar missions is the concept of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), which involves the use of local resources to support human missions and reduce dependence on Earth-based supplies. This paper investigates the thermal processing capability of lunar regolith without the addition of binders, with a focus on large-scale applications for the construction of lunar habitats and infrastructure. The study used a simulant of lunar regolith found on the Schrödinger Basin in the South Pole region. This regolith simulant consists of 20 wt% basalt and 80 wt% anorthosite. Experiments were conducted using a high power CO2 laser to sinter and melt the regolith in a 80 mm diameter laser spot to evaluate the effectiveness of direct large area thermal processing. Results indicated that sintering begins at approximately 1,180 °C and reaches full melt at temperatures above 1,360 °C. Sintering experiments with this material revealed the formation of dense samples up to 11 mm thick, while melting experiments successfully produced larger samples by overlapping molten layers and additive manufacturing up to 50 mm thick. The energy efficiency of the sintering and melting processes was compared. The melting process was about 10 times more energy efficient than sintering in terms of material consolidation, demonstrating the promising potential of laser melting technologies of anorthosite-rich regolith for the production of structural elements. KW - Additive Manufacturing KW - Laser melting KW - ISRU KW - Moon KW - Regolith PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-639614 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amf.2025.200226 SN - 2950-4317 VL - 4 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63961 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ginés-Palomares, Juan-Carlos A1 - Facchini, Leonardo A1 - Wilbig, Janka A1 - Zocca, Andrea A1 - Stoll, Enrico A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Melt Pool Stability during Local Laser Melting of Lunar Regolith with Large Laser Spots and Varying Gravity N2 - In order to increase the sustainability of future lunar missions, techniques for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) must be developed. In this context, the local melting of lunar dust (regolith) by laser radiation for the production of parts and larger structures was investigated in detail. With different experimental setups in normal and microgravity, laser spots with diameters from 5 mm to 100 mm were realized to melt the regolith simulant EAC-1A and an 80%/20% mixture of TUBS-T and TUBS-M, which are used as a substitute for the actual lunar soil. In the experiments performed, the critical parameters are the size of the laser spot, the velocity of the laser spot on the surface of the powder bed, the gravity and the wettability of the powder bed by the melt. The stability of the melt pool as a function of these parameters was investigated and it was found that the formation of a stable melt pool is determined by gravity for large melt pool sizes in the range of 50 mm and by surface tension for small melt pool sizes in the range of a few mm. KW - Additive Manufacturing KW - Regolith KW - Laser melting KW - ISRU PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-639621 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amf.2025.200227 SN - 2950-4317 VL - 4 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63962 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Brandić Lipińska, M. T1 - PAVER - Contextualizing laser sintering within a lunar technology roadmap N2 - The Global Exploration Strategy of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) describes a timeframe of 2020 and beyond with the ultimate aim to establish a human presence on Mars towards the 2040ies. The next steps lie on the Moon with a focus on the coming 10 years. Early lunar surface missions will establish a capability in support of lunar science and prepare and test mission operations for subsequent human exploration of Mars and long-duration human activities on the Moon. Given the extreme costs involved in the shipping of material from Earth, a prerequisite for future human exploration is the manufacturing of elements directly on the Moon’s surface. Unlike the equipment, which at the beginning will have to be brought from Earth, raw materials and energy could be available following the concept of In-Situ Resource Utilization. The ESA OSIP PAVING THE ROAD (PAVER) study investigates the use of a laser to sinter regolith into paving elements for use as roadways and launch pads thus mitigating dust issues for transport and exploration vehicles. The ESA-funded study examines the potential of using a laser (12 kW CO2 laser with spot beam up to 100 mm) for layer sintering of lunar and martian regolith powders to manufacture larger 3D elements and provide know-how for the automatic manufacture of paving elements in the lunar environment. The project contributes to the first step toward the establishment of a lunar base and will lead to the construction of equipment capable of paving areas and manufacturing 3D structures. PAVER project sets the starting point for an examination of the larger context of lunar exploration. Mission scenarios will look at different phases of lunar exploration: Robotic Lunar Exploration, Survivability, Sustainability, and Operational Phase. A proposed Technology Roadmap investigates the mission scenario and analyses how, and to which extent, laser melting/sintering will play a role in the various phases of exploration. The paper contextualizes laser sintering within selected mission scenarios and discusses the different kinds of infrastructure that can be produced at each phase of the mission. The outcome of the study includes the detailing of the TRL steps in the project and an outline of a timeline for the different elements. Covered aspects include terrain modelling such as operation pads, roadways, or towers, non-pressurized building structures to protect machinery, and habitat envelopes, to protect and shield humans against dust, micrometeoroids, and radiation. T2 - 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) CY - Paris, France DA - 18.09.2022 KW - Additive manufacturing KW - ISRU KW - Infrastructure KW - Lunar habitat KW - Paving KW - Solar sintering PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56529 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Brandić Lipińska, M. A1 - Davenport, R. A1 - Imhof, A. B. A1 - Waclavicek, R. A1 - Fateri, M. A1 - Meyer, Lena A1 - Gines-Palomares, J. C. A1 - Zocca, Andrea A1 - Makaya, A. A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - PAVER - Contextualizing laser sintering within a lunar technology roadmap N2 - The Global Exploration Strategy of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) describes a timeframe of 2020 and beyond with the ultimate aim to establish a human presence on Mars towards the 2040ies. The next steps lie on the Moon with a focus on the coming 10 years. Early lunar surface missions will establish a capability in support of lunar science and prepare and test mission operations for subsequent human exploration of Mars and long-duration human activities on the Moon. Given the extreme costs involved in the shipping of material from Earth, a prerequisite for future human exploration is the manufacturing of elements directly on the Moon’s surface. Unlike the equipment, which at the beginning will have to be brought from Earth, raw materials and energy could be available following the concept of In-Situ Resource Utilization. The ESA OSIP PAVING THE ROAD (PAVER) study investigates the use of a laser to sinter regolith into paving elements for use as roadways and launch pads thus mitigating dust issues for transport and exploration vehicles. The ESA-funded study examines the potential of using a laser (12 kW CO2 laser with spot beam up to 100 mm) for layer sintering of lunar and martian regolith powders to manufacture larger 3D elements and provide know-how for the automatic manufacture of paving elements in the lunar environment. The project contributes to the first step toward the establishment of a lunar base and will lead to the construction of equipment capable of paving areas and manufacturing 3D structures. PAVER project sets the starting point for an examination of the larger context of lunar exploration. Mission scenarios will look at different phases of lunar exploration: Robotic Lunar Exploration, Survivability, Sustainability, and Operational Phase. A proposed Technology Roadmap investigates the mission scenario and analyses how, and to which extent, laser melting/sintering will play a role in the various phases of exploration. The paper contextualizes laser sintering within selected mission scenarios and discusses the different kinds of infrastructure that can be produced at each phase of the mission. The outcome of the study includes the detailing of the TRL steps in the project and an outline of a timeline for the different elements. Covered aspects include terrain modelling such as operation pads, roadways, or towers, non-pressurized building structures to protect machinery, and habitat envelopes, to protect and shield humans against dust, micrometeoroids, and radiation. T2 - 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) CY - Paris, France DA - 18.09.2022 KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Solar sintering KW - ISRU KW - Infrastructure KW - Lunar habitat KW - Paving PY - 2022 SP - 1 EP - 9 AN - OPUS4-56519 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Günster, Jens T1 - Pulverbasierte additive Fertigung unter reduzierten Schwerkraftbedingungen N2 - 2014 wurden die ersten additiv gefertigten Bauteile in der Internationalen Raumstation (ISS) hergestellt. Die Ära des 3D Drucks im Weltraum startete bereits 2010 mit einem NASA Projekt. Made in Space Inc. entwickelte im Auftrag der NASA einen 3D Drucker auf Basis der Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technologie. Seit 2016 gibt es in der ISS eine Additive Manufacturing Facility und seitdem wurden mittels FDM mehr als hundert Teile aus Kunststoff 3D gedruckt. Die ESA arbeitet gleichfalls an der Entwicklung eines FDM-3D Druckers für die Schwerelosigkeit, z.B. im ESA Projekt „IMPERIAL“, „MELT 3D printer“. Metallische Bauteile mit guten mechanischen Eigenschaften und guter Genauigkeit können kommerziell mittels des Laserstrahlschmelzens (Laser Powder Bed Fusion LPBF) dargestellt werden. Diese Technologie kann allerdings im Weltraum nur unter der Voraussetzung angewendet werden, dass das Pulvermaterial in der Schwerelosigkeit manipuliert und in Form einer dünnen Schicht stabilisiert werden kann. Standard LBM-Anlagen sind deshalb für einen Betrieb in Schwerelosigkeit nicht geeignet, was z.B. auch von Made in Space Inc. in der Vergangenheit beleuchtet wurde. Die pulverbasierte additive Fertigung unter Schwerelosigkeit erfordert die Entwicklung völlig neuartiger Technologien zum Schichtauftrag. Methoden: Mit Hilfe der „Gasflussunterstützten Pulverdeposition“ wurden im Rahmen des Projekts unter reduzierter Schwerkraft systematische Parameterstudien zum LPBF-Prozess durchgeführt. Das Projekt knüpfte an erfolgreiche Vorarbeiten zur Gasflussunterstützten Pulverdeposition unter µg Bedingungen aus vier DLR Parabelflugkampagnen (30., 31., 33. und 34.) an. Ergebnisse: In den Parabelflugkampagnen 76 der ESA und 38 des DLR wurde eine neue Einheit in Wabenform für den Schichtauftrag von Pulver getestet. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass diese Einheit, die auch als Pulverreservoir funktionierte und mittels eines Aktuators in Schwingungen versetzt wurde, einen reproduzierbaren Schichtauftrag mit geringem Pulververlust unter Schwerelosigkeit ermöglicht. Um die Qualität der aufgetragenen Schicht überwachen zu können, wurde ein Linienscanner beschafft und in die Anlage integriert. Mit diesem kann ein 3D Profil der Schichten im laufenden Prozess erstellt werden, was eine Qualitätskontrolle jeder einzelnen Schicht im Prozess erlaubt. Neben Edelstahl (316L) wurde das Schmelzverhalten von Regolith direkt im Pulverbett unter Bedingungen reduzierter Schwerkraft ebenfalls untersucht. Ein Modell zum Verständnis der Einflussgrößen Gravitation, Schmelzbadgröße, Partikelgröße und Zusammensetzung des Regolith wurde entwickelt. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Entwicklung einer leistungsfähigen Rakeleinheit für den Schichtauftrag unter Schwerelosigkeit ist Voraussetzung für die Generierung defektfreier Bauteile in der pulverbasierten additiven Fertigung in Schwerelosigkeit. Der Übergang zum Werkstoff Regolith hat die Thematik der Verwendung von lokalen Rohstoffen (ISRU), z.B. Mondstaub auf dem Mond, in Kombination mit dem Ziel einer hohen Produktivität beim Aufbau großer Strukturen hervorgebracht. Hierbei ist das Thema einer handhabbaren Schmelzpoolgröße im Laserschmelzprozess unter variierender Schwerkraft in den Fokus gerückt und wird derzeit noch beforscht. T2 - DLR Statussymposium CY - Bonn, Germany DA - 12.03.2025 KW - Regolith KW - Mond KW - ISRU KW - micro-g PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63964 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -