§ 4 - Industrial Processes in Space For Converting Lunar and Asteroidal Materials into Useful Products

Note: Many of the sections below focus on producing useful things from lunar materials rather than asteroidal materials because we know more about the Moon, mainly from the samples returned from the Apollo missions, and it has traditionally been much easier to get funding for studies to use lunar materials. However, most of these processes would apply to asteroidal material as well. (Some of the following applies mainly to asteroidal material.)

The focus of this chapter is the Space Manufacturing Facility (SMF).

Table of Contents:

§ 4.1 The space environment -- advantages and disadvantages

§ 4.1.1 Zero gravity to any gravity (centrifuge)
§ 4.1.2 Vacuum
§ 4.1.3 High temperature solar ovens
§ 4.1.4 Electric power from the sun
§ 4.1.5 Heat rejection issues

§ 4.2 Separating elements and minerals by simple methods

§ 4.2.1 Magnetic separation of free nickel-iron metal
§ 4.2.2 Thermal extraction of volatiles
§ 4.2.3 Separating minerals by electrostatic beneficiation
§ 4.2.4 Separating minerals by vibration or floatation
§ 4.2.5 Separating minerals by electrophoresis

§ 4.3 Construction materials from minimally processed bulk lunar and asteroidal soils

§ 4.3.1 Overview of fiberglass, ceramics, glasses, lunarcrete", "astercrete", sintering, casting
§ 4.3.2 Sintering
§ 4.3.3 Glass-ceramics
§ 4.3.4 Glasses
§ 4.3.5 Fiberglass

§ 4.4 Separating elements and/or oxides from minerals or bulk material

§ 4.4.1 Electrolysis of minerals
§ 4.4.2 Smelting of minerals
§ 4.4.3 Solar oven distillation
§ 4.4.4 Chemical processing

§ 4.5 Producing high temperature refractories

§ 4.6 Waste disposal

§ 4.7 Manufacturing overview

§ 4.7.1 Vapor and droplet deposition in vacuum
§ 4.7.2 Cutting in vacuum
§ 4.7.3 Welding in vacuum
§ 4.7.4 Containerless processing melting and casting
§ 4.7.5 Powder metallurgy (under construction)

§ 4.8 Automation and teleoperation (robotics)

§ 4.8.1 Introduction
§ 4.8.2 For surface robotic exploration
§ 4.8.3 For mining
§ 4.8.4 For materials processing and manufacturing (under construction)
§ 4.8.5 For other space operations (under construction)
§ 4.8.6 Other websites on automation and teleoperation

§ 4.9 Bootstrapping