Prediction of Micrometeoroid Damage to Lunar Construction Materials using Numerical Modeling of Hypervelocity Impact Events

Abstract

Constructing a human-occupied Lunar base presents a unique civil engineering challenge; the resources to make conventional construction materials are unavailable. One approach, known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), proposes transforming local resources into construction materials [1,2]. One of the Moon’s most abundant resources is the unconsolidated surface “soil”, known as regolith. Several methods for transforming regolith into useful engineering elements, known as regolith stabilization, have been proposed and are the subjects of ongoing research efforts [e.g., 3-9]. One class of stabilized regolith material, Biopolymer-Bound Soil Composites (BSC), consists of regolith mixed with a small amount of biopolymer binding agent (10% w/w). BSC compares favorably to other stabilized regolith materials because it does not require high temperature or high energy input and uses a relatively small fraction of binder to achieve an average compressive strength of 20 MPa.