Lunar and Martian Futures

Kostas Kontis, Craig White

Several agencies, private space ventures, and governments are plotting for humankind’s return to the Moon over the next decade and Mars thereafter. The modern-day endeavours to the Moon and Mars involve establishing a sustainable presence and a thriving economy on and around them. There is an urgency to guide ongoing efforts in establishing an infrastructure by developing an analytical framework for scientific and commercial activity on the Moon and Mars. 

Both environments are facing interrelated challenges in terms of access, extreme conditions, in situ resource utilisation, dust, excavation and construction to mention a few. The research theme aims to bring the community together in readiness for forthcoming funding opportunities, identify synergies and establish the necessary critical mass that could contribute to the vision of building a Moon-based economy in the first instance that can serve as a test bed for Mars.

Research topics are listed below:

  • Prof Kontis founded and directs the Plume-Regolith Testing Facility (PRTF) which uniquely provides a realistic simulation of planetary conditions for R&D into plume-regolith interactions and their impact on vehicle dynamics. The large-volume high-vacuum facility enables the study of multi-phase gas dynamic interactions of ascending and descending systems in a range of atmospheres from TRLs 1-2 to 4-5, contributing to missions, such as cargo transports with the European Large Logistics Lander (EL3). Regimes of interest: Hard Vacuum (Lunar landing), Martian Environment.

  • Generate high-quality Plume Surface Interactions (PSI) data for code validation

  • Develop novel diagnostics and study of PSI phenomena and interactions

  • Another flagship research from ESA/ESTEC is to study containment and mitigation strategies of PSI phenomena using in-situ manufactured structures with hot and cold thrusters and increase the Technology Readiness Level from 2 to 4

  • Studies on planetary regolith removal

  • Plasma micro-thruster technologies using nanofabrication, experiments and modelling

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