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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Innovation: Applying heat directly to frozen volatile bearing materials allows extraction of the volatile without the cost, mass and complexity of excavation. Heat is applied directly to the surface in the form of redirected sunlight or subsurface via conducting rods or heaters emplaced in boreholes. Vapor is captured within a dome-like tent and refrozen in cold traps for processing.Technical Approach: Colorado School of Mines brings its world renowned expertise in terrestrial resource extraction to space; We will explore locations throughout the solar system where Thermal Mining might be applicable. We will develop a detailed mission scenario for the use of Thermal Mining for lunar water extraction. We will test the effectiveness of various Thermal Mining techniques in our cryogenic vacuum chamber.
Potential & Benefits: Estimates for extracting water from the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon show Thermal Mining can produce industrial quantities of water (for propellant) for 60% less mass and energy than excavation. Volatiles have many uses for space exploration and space commerce. Propellant from lunar polar ice will lower all transportation costs beyond low Earth orbit by factors from three to seventy.
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This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.
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