“Moon Village” is considered one of the most important projects of manned space flight. However, the long-term energy supply for the urbanisation of the Moon has not yet been clarified. Temperatures vary between -170 °C and +120 °C, and solar energy is unavailable during the two week long moon nights. There are no fossil fuels on the Moon. The energy supply must be secured with lunar regolith, a mixture of different metal oxides. Current storage systems, such as batteries, heat accumulators or mechanical storage units, lack the capacity for long-term supply. The Fraunhofer IST and ICT are developing a process by which metallic iron can be extracted from regolith and used as a non-fossil fuel. Unlike fossil fuels, the combustion products are solid and can be collected. They are recycled in a novel process and can be reused. The unique solution uses a direct electrochemical process to recycle the iron oxide in order to produce iron again, bypassing the previously known hydrogen route. This makes the process very efficient. It operates at temperatures below 100°C. The process can be used terrestrially in modified power plants or combined heat and power plants and thus makes a significant contribution to climate protection (decarbonisation).

Benefits:

• Circular economy
• Time-independent energy supply (day/night) on the Moon
• Iron fuel is extracted from lunar regolith
• On Earth, the process makes an important contribution to decarbonisation
• Combustion products are recycled by means of excess electricity

Energy security plays a major role for satellites and space stations due to their isolated places of operation. Since solar energy is often used to operate these spacecraft, reliable energy storage systems are crucial to compensate for fluctuations in direct solar radiation. These storage systems need to have a very long service life as well as a high operational safety in order to sustainably reduce resource-intensive replacement missions as well as hazards for humans and equipment. However, the battery systems currently used in spacecraft have significant deficits in these areas. That’s why, with »SpaceFlow«, a new energy storage concept for space applications is being presented, which completely fulfils the requirements. »SpaceFlow« is an incomparably long-lasting, charge-cycle-stable, safe and reliable redox flow battery system based on porous metal foam electrodes and zinc-polyiodide electrolytes. The innovative design allows the pressure-stable yet flexible battery cells to be integrated directly into the spacecraft support structures, so that, in addition to energy storage, other functions such as module stiffening or thermal management can be realised with an efficient use of space.

Benefits:

• Very long service life and theoretically unlimited cycle stability
• Particularly high operational safety and environmentally neutral cell chemistry
• Very efficient use of space with multiple applications

Fraunhofer IISB is developing a novel technology for ultra-high-temperature resistant protective coatings for space applications. The HOSSA project is based on the institute’s research work to apply ceramic protective coatings to fibre-reinforced composites using powder coating technology.
The aim is to make the advantages of fibre-reinforced composite components, such as high elongation at fracture, high cracking resistance and dynamic load capacity, available for new applications by increasing heat and oxidation resistance as well as increased mechanical abrasion resistance. The patented technology offers a considerable cost advantage over conventional coating processes and is also suitable for component repair.
With HOSSA, the efficiency of propulsion systems and the exposure time for re-entry vehicles can be increased. These protective coatings can also be applied for power units of aircraft and helicopters as well as gas turbines.

Benefits:

• Highly tuneable coating technology to achieve different coating properties
• Cost-effective and highly flexible in terms of part geometry and size
• Enables the application of fibre-reinforced composites in new applications
• Higher combustion temperatures and thus increased efficiency of rocket engines and power units

Private and public institutions all over the world pursue one common mission: a manned station on the moon. The costs of rocket flights alone to transport such a station to the moon would be approximately EUR 1,000,000 per kilogramme. This is why numerous research teams around the world are working on solutions to use moon rock to manufacture 3D-printed structural components on-site. The MoonFibre project at RWTH Aachen University is developing a spinning system that will be able to produce fibres directly from lunar rocks. These fibres could be used not only to stabilise the 3D-printed structure of the lunar station, but also for thermal isolation, filter systems, or the textiles of astronaut suits. RWTH Aachen intends to further develop a spinning process already used in industry for basalt fibres as a compact and easily transportable system for use on the lunar surface. The spinning process is to be tested under zero gravity within an in-orbit demonstration experiment. The proof-of-concept will serve as the basis for the future on-site production of fibres and textiles on the moon.

Benefits:

• Permanent settlements on the moon and technology transfer into space
• Cost-effective on-site production of fibres and textiles on the lunar surface
• Development of a robust, automated, and miniaturised spinning technology