月面基地構築シナリオと構築上の重要課題

The scale of lunar base and the construction methods to be adopted are to be determined by the scenario of lunar utilization program but to be constrained by the availability of the established space transportation technologies. As indicated in the scenarios described in many papers regarding lunar base construction, the first steps of lunar missions are to be the investigation of lunar itself for conducting scientific researches and for surveying the lunar base construction sites, the second steps are to be the outpost construction for conducting the man tended missions regarding more precise scientific researches and for studying the lunar base construction methods, and third steps are to be the construction of permanent base and to be the expansion of this lunar base for exploiting the lunar resources.<BR>The missions within the first and second steps, mentioned above, are all possible to be executed using the ferry (OTV) similar to the service and command modules of Apollo Spacecraft because all necessary weights to be landed on the lunar surface for these missions seem to be under the equivalent weight of Apollo Lunar Lander. On the other hand, the permanent facilities to be constructed on lunar surface in third steps require larger quantities of construction materials to be transported from earth, and new ferry (advanced OTV) having higher transportation ability, at least, above 6 times, compared with Apollo Service and Command Modules, are to be developed. The largest problems in the permanent lunar base construction are just related with the food production facilities in it, 30-40 square meters of plant cultivation area per person are required at present art of technology for providing the nutrition requirement of human beings and the necessary electric power per person for producing high energy foods such as wheat, rice and potato is now estimated ranging from 30 to 40kw.<BR>The extension program of crew numbers under the limitation of usable transportation capability to be anticipated at present stage and the construction scenarios including the numbers of facilities to be constructed every year are to be determined based upon the requirements of plant cultivation area and of electric power for producing the necessary and sufficient foods in order to accelerate the feasibility studies of each subsystem to be installed in the permanent lunar base in future.