ABSTRACT

Current and future goals for human activities on the Moon could be achieved by the creation of underground spaces. Locating a human habitat several meters below the lunar surface by tunnelling would provide greater protection from hazards than a surface habitat covered in regolith while also providing a more stable thermal environment than the surface. A Lunar Tunnel Boring Machines (LTBM) could be used to access riles (lava tubes) at a distance from collapsed sections or skylights, thus reducing the hazard of rock fall when exploring these regions. LTBM could also be adapted for the frozen regolith in the permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles, which may be an attractive option for access to lunar ice resources. This paper will discuss lunar base design concepts and requirements and possibility of application of a LTBM.

BIO

Dr. Rostami has a BSc in mining engineering from Univ. of Tehran, Iran and his MSc and PhD in mining engineering in 92 and 97 from CSM, respectively. He has been a faculty at Univ. of Tehran from 1988 through 2002, a full time consultant with major A&E companies from 2002 till 2007 when he joined the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), as Centennial Chair of Carrier Development in Mining. He has over 28 years of experience in design, management, research, and teaching in the field of mining, tunneling, and underground construction. He is a member of SME, ASCE, ARMA, and ISEE. He is the editor in chief of the “Tunneling and Underground Space Technology”, member of the executive committee of the “International Tunneling Association (ITA).”