Progress of Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization System

The core of the current lunar exploration program is lunar in-situ resource utilization(ISRU),which necessitates system design based on the particular location,material,and environmental factors of the Moon. According to the recent planning of China’s International Lunar Research Station program,the research progress of the whole process of in-situ resources development on the moon is reviewed by taking ilmenite,water ice and helium-3,the three kinds of key resources with high mining value and technical maturity as examples. Firstly,two technical routes,namely the full moon census and the near-point detailed survey,are distinguished to briefly summarize the prospecting of the main resources. Next,the beneficiation,extraction and preparation of ilmenite,water ice and helium-3 as raw materials are presented, respectively. The back-end application of products is then examined from the viewpoints of facility organization and resource demand. Finally,the technological capabilities and structural integrity of the current lunar ISRU system are analyzed, which highlights four major concerns and potentials, followed by three primary conclusions and recommendations. This paper aims to serve as a reference for China’s creation of a world-class lunar ISRU system. © 2024 Chinese Society of Astronautics. All rights reserved.