Commercial lunar propellant architecture : a collaborative study of lunar propellant production

Abstract

This paper is the result of an examination by industry, government, and academic experts of the approach, challenges, and payoffs of a private business that harvests and processes lunar ice as the foundation of a lunar, cislunar (between the Earth and the Moon), and Earth-orbiting economy. A key assumption of this analysis is that all work--construction, operation, transport, maintenance and repair--is done by robotic systems. No human presence is required.