Kazuya Yoshida (Specially Appointed Professor) has been selected for the “Elemental Technologies for Lunar Surface Infrastructure” theme under the “Space Strategy Fund (2nd Phase)” program publicly solicited by JAXA. The Lunar Pathfinder for In-situ Operations with Novel Electron-beam Engineering and Robotics (PIONEER) Project is now officially launched.
In recent years, exploration initiatives by national space agencies and private companies have been rapidly advancing toward the establishment of sustainable bases on the Moon. While the development of infrastructure to support landing, mobility, and habitation is essential for future lunar activities, one of the greatest challenges is the extremely high cost of transporting materials from Earth. To address this issue, it is crucial to establish technologies that utilize regolith -abundantly available on the lunar surface -as a construction material for on-site infrastructure development.
This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of producing construction materials directly on the Moon by melting and solidifying regolith using an electron beam. The ultimate goal is to establish the foundational technologies required to construct infrastructure such as landing pads and access roadways in situ. Furthermore, by developing a multifunctional lunar mobile robot system capable of performing these tasks, and by validating construction techniques under conditions that simulate the lunar environment, the project will advance the technological framework necessary for future lunar outpost construction.
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