Description: As a part of NASA's Artemis program to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon, NASA will need to design and construct surface infrastructure to enable lunar exploration and science. Our proposed project will use the limited lunar seismicity data to develop a prediction model for seismic loading. The seismic model will be used in conjunction with analysis, testing, and engineering design to establish preliminary design criteria, procedures, and ConOps for seismic protection systems leveraging bulk regolith. This proposed work will target the civil, geotechnical, and structural engineering markets and further the state-of-the-art of lunar foundation engineering and seismic resilience of infrastructure and structures. This includes testing of geotechnical properties, an evaluation of surface preparation efficiency, determination of lateral loading conditions of bulk regolith infrastructure, designing and assessing infrastructure for the anticipated loading conditions to understand the structural response, and testing of scaled prototype protection systems using a shake table in TRL 4 environments. Protection of lunar surface infrastructure elements from seismic activity (moonquakes) is paramount to ensure system survival, resilience, mission objectives, and life safety. While terrestrial civil engineering design will provide a baseline for lunar building and construction, new models need to be developed and tested to ensure appropriate resilience of lunar infrastructure, structures, and other mission assets. Potential applications of the innovations addressed through this proposal include the planned Artemis basecamp, other private endeavors to the lunar surface, and assistance in the drafting of the American Society of Civil Engineers Lunar Infrastructure Engineering, Design, Analysis, and Construction guidelines.

Benefits: The advancements and technologies laid out in this proposal directly address several items in the 2024 solicitation in subtopics TX07: Exploration Destination Systems and T7.04: Lunar Surface Site Preparation. These include compaction, verification of geotechnical parameters and geometry of structures, regolith foundations for supporting hardened launch/landing pads, towers, habitats, roads, and other structures; holistic designs of regolith-based infrastructure, including interfaces between prepared areas, and definition of moonquake ground accelerations. The Artemis program includes plans for many infrastructure projects and facilities that will require civil engineering design, site preparation, and surface construction ConOps, all of which will require bulk regolith foundation support under both static and seismic conditions. The technology developed in this proposal will further the state-of-the-art of foundation engineering to support ongoing efforts by NASA to design and construct appropriate and resilient lunar infrastructure. Furthermore, proposed research on the geotechnical properties of bulk regolith and on the seismic wave properties of shallow moonquakes will further understanding of the lunar surface and subsurface conditions. Civil engineering, as a general practice, involves the design and construction of infrastructure utilizing the natural environment. Similar to terrestrial structures, every lunar structure will need a foundation and a seismic force resisting system. Thus, developing and applying these practices will influence the cislunar economy and produce a large market opportunity for terrestrial-based civil, geotechnical, and structural engineering communities. Engineers and firms that establish competency in lunar surface design and construction will likely have a competitive edge and opportunity to bid for future construction projects on the lunar surface. This provides an incentive for these firms to research and establish innovative design methodologies and exhibit expertise to become competitive in the cislunar marketplace. Establishing any infrastructure or structural system that leverages the use of bulk regolith, like that of foundation systems, enables opportunities for various commercial activities such as Moon-based research facilities for scientific organizations and universities, manufacturing plants for space-based materials, utilizing the moon's local resources, infrastructure for lunar exploration and space tourism, telecommunication relay stations for improved communication networks in space, etc. Companies involved in space tourism, satellite deployment, or space-based manufacturing are potential customers. Research institutions and universities may also be interested in conducting experiments or research on the moon that would require infrastructure support.