Conceptual design and experimental investigation of regolith bag structures for lunar in situ construction
Abstract
Lunar habitat construction is a critical engineering requirement in lunar exploration missions, characterized by unique structural and material challenges distinct from Earth. To meet the demands of in situ large-scale construction in extreme lunar environments, a general mode of Prefabricated core module & Inflatable structure & In situ materials structure is adopted. This work analyzed the structural internal forces and foundation bearing capacity for lunar habitats, highlighting the significance of structural tensile performance and the foundation's allowable bearing capacity. A construction scheme based on regolith bags is proposed, encompassing architectural and structural design, and long-term planning. Multiscale experimental investigations conducted on material, component, structure, and construction levels confirm the excellent properties of regolith bag. Aramid fabric and CUG lunar regolith simulant were chosen for material and component testing, focusing on evaluating the regolith bag's performance under tension and compression. Successful construction demonstrations of a regolith bag arch structure and a regolith bag - airbag structural unit validate the feasibility of this construction scheme. Conclusively, the proposed lunar habitat construction scheme based on regolith bag technology provides a viable and efficient method for in situ lunar construction.
