Building Habitats on the Moon (eBook)

Dr. Haym Benaroya is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Rutgers University. His research interests are focused on the conceptualization and analysis of structures placed in challenging environments. Primary examples include offshore drilling structures, structures subjected to explosions, and lunar surface structures for manned habitation. Dr. Benaroya earned his B.E. degree from The Cooper Union in New York, and his MS and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Rutgers University in 1989, he was a senior research engineer at Weidlinger Associates in New York for eight years with responsibilities for a number of defense-related studies. He is the author of over 70 refereed journal publications, two text books - one in Vibration and the other in Probabilistic Modeling - and two research monographs with two former PhD students on structural dynamics in the ocean. His book From Dust to Gold: Building a Future on the Moon and Mars (Springer Praxis) was designated the 2012 Best Engineering Sciences Book by the International Academy of Astronautics. Dr. Benaroya is an elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Contents 6
Acknowledgements 9
Dedication 10
About the Author 11
Preface 12
1: Thoughts on the Moon 16
1.1 J.F.K. AT RICE UNIVERSITY 16
1.2 Edward Teller: Thoughts on a Lunar Base 21
Reference 26
2: Overview and context 27
2.1 Why the Moon, and how 27
Why the Moon, and how – addendum 30
2.2 Other Thoughts on a Lunar Base 33
2.3 The Historical Dimension 36
2.4 The Economic Justifications 37
2.5 Agreements and Ethics 43
2.6 Pioneering Visions 44
2.7 Future Histories 48
2.8 Interview with David Livingston 49
Brief Biography 49
Our Interview 50
References 55
3: The lunar environment 57
3.1 Partial gravity 62
3.2 Interview With James Logan 63
Brief Biography 63
Our Interview 64
3.3 Radiation 75
Active and Passive Shielding 83
3.4 Regolith 86
3.5 Soil mechanics 88
3.6 Abrasion 94
Quotes 96
References 96
4: Structures 100
4.1 Classes 100
Types of structures 100
Types of applications 101
Application requirements 102
Material considerations 102
Structures and technology drivers 103
Requirement definitions and evaluations 104
4.2 Concepts and Designs 104
4.3 Lunar Architecture and Engineering 107
4.4 Interview with Marc Cohen 108
4.5 Rigid structures 120
4.6 Inflatables 129
Early Concepts 132
TransHab 140
Inflatable and Rigidizable 142
4.7 Interview with David Cadogan 145
References 152
5: Habitat studies 157
5.1 Frameworks 167
5.2 Structures and living on the Moon 172
Human Psychology 175
Human Physiology 178
Plants 182
Quotes 183
References 184
6: Lunar-based astronomy 187
Quotes 191
References 192
7: Materials and ISRU 193
7.1 Interview with Donald Rapp 198
Brief Biography 198
Our Interview 199
7.2 Lava Tubes 202
Quotes 209
References 209
8: Structural design of a lunar habitat 212
8.1 Habitat Geometry and Loads 212
8.2 Habitat Details 216
8.3 Habitat Erection and Appearance 218
References 222
9: Thermal design 223
9.1 A STATIC ANALYSIS 225
References 238
10: Probability theory and seismic design 239
10.1 A Definition for Probability 240
10.2 Random Variables 241
10.3 Mathematical Expectation 245
10.4 Useful Probability Densities 246
10.5 Random Processes 247
10.6 Power Spectrum 250
10.7 Random Vibration 251
10.8 Seismic Activity 253
10.9 A Seismic Design 254
References 263
11: Reliability and damage 264
11.1 Risk 265
11.2 Risk at a Lunar Base 267
11.3 Reliability Engineering 277
11.4 Failure Types 281
11.5 Fatigue Life Prediction 286
11.6 Micrometeoroids 290
11.7 Concluding Comments 298
References 299
12: Airplanes, redundancy and lunar habitats 301
12.1 Aircraft Certification 302
12.2 Redundancy 303
12.3 Accidents 305
12.4 Regulation and Certification 307
12.5 Lessons Learned 309
12.6 Lunar Structures 311
References 313
13: Advanced methodologies 314
13.1 Dempster-Shafer Theory 314
13.2 Performance-Based Engineering 315
References 320
14: Concluding thoughts 322
Index 325