1

Excavation, Construction, and Outfitting (ECO)

Envisioned Future Priorities

Updated 

Jan. 4, 2023

Mark Hilburger - Principal Technologist for Materials, Structures, and Construction – STMD 

mark.w.hilburger@nasa.gov
Autonomous Lunar Excavation, Construction, & Outfitting

targeting towers, roads, landing pads, and habitable buildings utilizing in-situ resources

Excavation for ISRU-based Resource Production

• Ice mining & regolith extraction for 100s to 1000s metric 

tons of commodities per year

§ Regolith for production of construction materials

§ 100s to 1000s metric tons of regolith-based 

feedstock for construction projects

§ 10s to 100s metric tons of metals and binders

Regolith Manipulation & Site 

Preparation

§ Site preparation: obstacle clearing, leveling, 

compacting & trenching

§ Bulk regolith manipulation for berms and 

overburden

§ Foundations for large infrastructure elements

Construction and Outfitting

• Assembly of tall towers for solar power 

generation, communications, navigation

• Landing pad construction for CLPS and human 

lander systems

• Unpressurized structure evolving to single and 

then multi-level pressurized habitats

• Outfitting for data, power & ECLSS systems

• 100-m-diameter landing pads, 100s km of roads, 

1000s m3 habitable pressurized volume

Commercial ECO Capabilities for 

Sustainable Infrastructure & Economy

• Commercial capabilities to construct tall towers, 

landing facilities, roads, and habitable structures

• Fully outfitted facilities and buildings to support a 

permanent lunar settlement and vibrant space 

economy

• Capabilities extensible to future ESDMD, SMD 

and Mars missions

Not all activities depicted are currently funded or approved. Depicts “notional future” to guide technology development vision.
LIVE: Autonomous excavation, construction & outfitting capabilities targeting 

landing pads/structures/habitable buildings utilizing in situ resources

TX 07.2 Mission Infrastructure, Sustainability, and 

Supportability - Provide landing sites, blast containment 

shields, landing aids.

TX 03 Advanced Power – Receive power; Provide 

excavation and construction services necessary for 

power infrastructure

TX 07.1 In-Situ Resource Utilization – Provide regolith for 

commodities and feedstock production; receive resource 

information and manufacturing/construction feedstock.

TX 07.2.5 & TX 12.1 Advanced Materials and Dust 

Mitigation – providing and using technologies for surviving 

extreme environments

TX 10 Autonomous Systems – Receive Autonomous Systems 

& Robotics technologies for complex Excavation, Construction, 

& Outfitting operations (see backup slide on Autonomy)

TX07.2 Assembly, TX12.3 Mechanical Systems - Shared 

capability areas with Servicing & Assembly (OSAM) 

TX 12.4 Manufacturing – Receive manufactured parts for 

Lunar surface Construction and Outfitting from Adv. 

Manufacturing
ECO Mapping to M2M Blueprint Objectives

M2M 

Obj.

Description DEMONSTRATE: Deploy an initial capability to enable system maturation and future 

industry growth in alignment with architecture objectives.

DEVELOP: Design, build, and deploy a system, ready to be operated by the user, to 

fully meet architectural objectives.

Regolith 

Excavation

/Delivery

Regolith 

Manipulation 

and Site Prep

Assembly, 

Construction, 

Outfitting

LI-1 Develop an incremental lunar power generation and distribution system that is evolvable to support continuous 

robotic/human operation and is capable of scaling to global power utilization and industrial power levels

x x x

LI-2 Develop a lunar surface, orbital, and Moon-to-Earth communications architecture capable of scaling to support long 

term science, exploration, and industrial needs

x x x

LI-4 Demonstrate advanced manufacturing and autonomous construction capabilities in support of continuous human lunar 

presence and a robust lunar economy

x x x

LI-6 Demonstrate local, regional, and global surface transportation and mobility capabilities in support of continuous 

human lunar presence and a robust lunar economy

x x

LI-7 Demonstrate industrial scale ISRU capabilities in support of continuous human lunar presence and a robust lunar 

economy.

x

LI-8 Demonstrate technologies supporting cislunar orbital/surface depots, construction and manufacturing maximizing the 

use of in-situ resources, and support systems needed for continuous human/robotic presence. 

x x x

MI-4 Develop Mars ISRU capabilities to support an initial human Mars exploration campaign. x

OP-11 Demonstrate the capability to use commodities produced from planetary surface or in-space resources to reduce the 

mass required to be transported from Earth.

x x

TH-3 Develop system(s) to allow crew to explore, operate, and live on the lunar surface and in lunar orbit with scalability to 

continuous presence; conducting scientific and industrial utilization as well as Mars analog activities. 

x x x

RT-2 Industry collaboration x x x

RT-4 Crew Time: maximize crew time available for science and engineering activities x

RT-9 Commerce and Space Development x x x
Excavation for ISRU

Capability Description, Outcomes, and Goals

Capability Description

Ø Autonomous resource excavation and delivery to ISRU plant –1000s t/year

Ø Distance traveled with repeated trafficking – 1000s km/year

Ø Recharging – 100s times (assuming no on-board PV charging)

Ø Operational Life – 5 years 

Ø Reliability and Repair – MTBF = 10 lunar days, MTTR = <2 hrs

Outcomes

Ø Regolith for O2

Ø Icy Regolith for H2O and volatiles - hydrogen, carbon oxides, hydrocarbons, and 

ammonia

Ø Regolith for ISRU-based construction feedstocks and binders – Metals, Silicon, Slag

State of the Art: Current lunar excavation technologies can only dig into surface 

regolith, not deep or icy regolith.

Capability or KPP SoA Threshold Goal

Regolith Excavation and Delivery Surveyor Scoop: < 10kg 100s t/year 1000s t/year

Dist. Traveled Opportunity Rover: 46 km 100s km/year 1000s km/year

Repeated Trafficking Apollo rover: 5X 100s X 1000s X

Operational Range between resource & delivery site None 500 m > 1 km

Recharge Cycles (assuming no on-board PV charging) None 10s X 100s X

Operational Lifetime Chinese Yutu Rover

Many lunar day/night cycles

1 year 5 years

Reliability & Repair None MTBF: 2 lunar day

MTTR: <24 hrs

MTBF: 10 lunar days

MTTR: <2 hrs

ISRU resource prospecting and geotechnical 

characterization (ISRU dependency)

MTBF = Mean Time Before Failure

MTTR = Mean Time to Repair

Resource excavation 

and delivery

Not all activities depicted are currently funded or approved. Depicts “notional future” to guide technology development vision.
Excavation for ISRU

Capability State of the Art, Current Activities, and Technology Gaps

SoA & Current Activities

Granular Regolith Excavation – ISRU Pilot Excavator Flight System Development (TRL 5/6)

• 10mT excavated over a 15 day period, with limited autonomy, includes wireless recharging 

• Not designed for lunar night survival, long-duration and long-distance operations, or repair

• Critical activity to inform next-gen design of lunar surface ECO systems

Icy/Consolidated Regolith Excavation – Proof of Concept Systems and Implements (TRL 2-5)

• Break the Ice Lunar Challenge Phase 2: develop/demonstrate icy regolith excavation and delivery system (TRL 3-4)

• Several excavation implements under development, e.g., hammer-chisels (TRL 2/3) and vibratory blades (TRL 4/5)

• Not flight rated, limited relevant environment testing of implements, not designed for lunar survival

Technology Gaps

Ø Multi-functional low mass rugged robotic platforms for regolith excavation and delivery

Ø Modularity and interfaces for reconfigurability and repairability

Ø Autonomy for high throughput and cooperative operations

Ø Lunar survivability, reliability, and repair

Ø Survive multiple lunar nights or shadowed regions

Ø Wear-resistant materials and wear characterization

Ø Long-life lubricants, motors, avionics

Ø Dust mitigation for actuators, seals, joints, mechanisms; Dust-tolerant thermal control system

Ø Autonomous maintenance and repair

Ø Health and fault management

Ø Regolith flow/interaction with implements (simulation and test)

Ø Scale-up from pilot scale (10mT) to initial commercial scale (1000mT/yr)

Ø End-to-end system demonstrations that lead to lunar surface demo, need time on equipment

Many technology gaps are shared with Regolith Manipulation and Site Preparation capability area

ISRU Pilot Excavator (IPEx)

Break the Ice Lunar Challenge (BTIL) 

Phase 1 Concept Hauler

FLEET 

Ultrasonic 

Blade 

Bucket 

Prototype
Regolith Manipulation and Site Preparation

Capability Description, Outcomes, and State of the Art

Capability Description - Similar Capabilities as Excavation for ISRU, plus...

Ø Site survey – geotechnical, topography

Ø Load, Haul, Dump

Ø Bulk regolith manipulation – berms, piles, overburden, and gravel

Ø Level, grade, and compact

Ø Rock removal and gathering

Ø Trenching and burying 

Outcomes

Ø Site preparation for construction - 1000s of m2 of prepared surface

Ø Provide bulk regolith berms and overburden for shielding

Ø gravel surfaces for dust mitigation

SoA: Excavation for construction has never been attempted on an extraterrestrial body. 

Prototypes have been built at low TRL. 

Similar KPPs as Excavation for ISRU, plus the following:

Capability or KPP SoA Threshold Goal

Bulk density and bearing and shear 

strength measurement of regolith

cone penetrometer, shear vane, 

coring 

1 measurement per 

100 m2

10 autonomous 

measurements per 100 m2

Topology characterization LIDAR, Photogrammetry 10mm resolution 5mm resolution

Bulk Regolith Manipulation – berm 

building and piling

None 3 m tall 7 m tall

Site Level, Grade & Compact (1.9 g/cc) None 25 m radius 50 m radius

Rock Removal and Gathering Rake (Apollo): 1-10 cm <10 cm <50 cm

Trenching Apollo & lunar surveyor scoop: 

several cm’s deep

1.0 m deep 3.0 m deep

Leveling and grading

Early-phase infrastructure

Not all activities depicted are currently funded or approved. Depicts “notional future” to guide technology development vision.
Regolith Manipulation and Site Preparation

Capability State of the Art, Current Activities, and Technology Gaps

SoA & Current Activities

Site Preparation Systems – Proof of Concept (TRL 3-4)

• LuSTR project - Autonomous Site Preparation: Excavation, Compaction, and Testing (ASPECT) (TRL 3-4)

• 10m-diam area, moving/manipulating ~4mT of loose regolith and small rocks

• Four STTR Ph1 Study to develop site prep system requirements, TRL 3/4 systems, ConOps, and analytical tools for 

site design

Site Preparation Implements – Proof of Concept (TRL 2-5)

• Several lab-scale studies on regolith compaction (TRL 3/4)

• Several grader and compactor implements under development, e.g., vibrating plates/rollers (TRL 2/3) and grading 

blades/buckets (TRL 4/5)

• Not flight rated, limited relevant environment testing of implements

Technology Gaps

Ø Site survey – geotechnical, topography

Ø Implements and Systems: excavation, haul, dump, rock handling, grading, leveling, compaction, berm 

building, trenching

Ø Site prep inspection techniques and sensor systems

Ø Feasibility testing for regolith manipulation and system development leading to lunar surface demo

Ø System scale-up to initial commercial scale; 100’s m2 areas, 10,000’s mT regolith moved

Ø Additional shared gaps listed for Excavation for ISRU

Autonomous Site Preparation: Excavation, 

Compaction, and Testing (ASPECT) – 

Colorado School of Mines

STTR Ph1 Site Prep System Study – 

Astroport Space Technologies, Inc.

NASA Chariot with LANCE dozer blade
Surface Construction Classifications

Delivery of large habitable volumes will require a different approach from the 

"cans on landers" concepts that have been depicted for decades

• How can we build?

Notes: 

• Hybrid Class II/III structures: ISRU-derived components for Class II assembly, 

premanufactured/precision components for Class III integration

• Shared capability areas with Servicing & Assembly, e.g., autonomous assembly, 

docking interfaces, outfitting, V&V

CLASS III:

In-Situ 

Derived/Constructed

R

CLASS II: 

HEG

Assembled/ 

HI

Deployable erials

CLASS I: tu Mat In-Si

Pre- rts

Y 

integrated

GO

– Pa

L

LE

th

O

V

r

N

Ea

H

LE

C

r

TE

ula Mod - th

R

r

EW

Ea

LO

CURRENT EVOLUTION BY TIME ADVANCED

Classification Key Characteristics

CLASS I

Pre-integrated 

module

• Earth Manufactured

• Pre-Integrated & Tested Prior to Launch

• Space Delivered with Immediate Habitation Capability

• Volume and Mass Constrained by Launch Vehicle Capability

CLASS II

Surface Deployed & 

Assembled

• Requires Surface Deployment, Assembly & Outfitting

• May Include Partial Integration of Subsystems

• Critical Subsystems are Earth Based and Tested Prior to Launch

• Requires Checkout Prior to Human Occupancy

• Larger Volumes/Sizes Capable (e.g.., Transhab ~3X the Volume of a 

Standard ISS Module)

• Reduced Restriction on Volume Due to Launch Vehicle Shroud Size

• Restricted to Launch Mass Capability. Deliver on Multiple Vehicles

• Earth-sourced elements for assembly can transition to ISRU-based 

elements 

CLASS III

In-Situ Derived and 

Constructed

• Manufactured In-situ, Derived from Local Resources (Lunar or Mars)

• In-space Construction and Outfitting (Integration of Subsystems)

• Critical Subsystems are Earth Based and Tested Prior to Launch

• Requires Assembly & Checkout Prior to Human Occupancy

• Larger Volumes Capable, Constrained by Limitations of Construction 

Equipment and ISRU materials

• Construction Equipment Constrained to Launch Vehicle Mass and 

Volume.
Surface Construction

Capability Description, Outcomes, and State of the Art

Capability Description:

Ø Class II: Assembly of components into built-up structures (e.g., Earth-sourced or ISRU-based truss, panel, 

paver, bricks); deployment of human-rated preassembled or inflatable structures

Ø Class III: In-situ additive construction (e.g., 3D printed regolith-based construction)

Ø In-situ testing and inspection techniques for certification (material and structural)

Ø Structural enhancement and repair

Ø Construction Systems: design for lunar survivability, reliability, and maintenance

Outcomes

Ø Towers (50+ m tall for Power and Communication)

Ø 10s km of roads 

Ø 100-m-diameter launch/landing pads (LLPs)

Ø Blast containment shield (BCS)– 7m-tall, 100s m long

Ø Shelters & habitats (1000s m3

 volume) to provide asset and crew protection (thermal, radiation, etc.)

SoA: Extraterrestrial surface construction has never been attempted. Terrestrial prototypes at low TRL.

Capability or KPP SoA Threshold Goal

Class II: Deployable and 

assembled structures

ISS: deployable trusses for solar arrays and 

radiators; inflatable volumes (not humanrated).

Assembly of tower and blast cont. 

shield (BCS) with 50% ISRU-based 

components

Autonomous Construction of most 

major infrastructure elements with 

100% ISRU based components and 

materials. Towers, roads, LLPs, BCS, 

shelters, and habitats Class III: In-situ construction Low TRL development work ISRU-based roads, LLPs, BCS with 

limited Earth-sourced materials (20%)

In-situ testing & inspection ISS inspection: visual, thermography, eddy 

current, ultra-sound, strain gage, accels.

Voids & cracks, material strength and 

stiffness. Material degradation

full volumetric inspection of material 

and structural properties w/ real-time 

corrective actions

Structural enhancement & 

repair

ISS enhancement: swap-out of modular 

components and orbital replacement units

ISS structural repair: none

Manual repair; post-construction 

enhancement/modification

Selected auto. repair and postconstruction enhancement

System Operational Lifetime None 2 year 10 years

Reliability & Repair None MTBF: 2 lunar days, MTTR: <24 hrs MTBF: 10 lunar days, MTTR: <2 hrs MTBF = Mean Time Before Failure

MTTR = Mean Time to Repair

Class II: Assembly & Deployables

Class III: In-situ Construction

Not all activities depicted are currently funded or approved. Depicts “notional future” to guide technology development vision.
• Investment grade: Yellow

Class II Surface Construction

Capability State of the Art, Current Activities, and Technology Gaps

SoA & Current Activities

Deployable Surface Solar Arrays – (TRL 2-6)

• Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) Flight system development (TRL 6)

• Several activities to develop deployable 50kWe array concepts (TRL 2/3)

Inflatable Structures – Proof of Concept (TRL 2-6)

• Multiple activities developed inflatable habitat concepts (TRL 6); Ex. Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM)

• Inflatable airlocks and crew transfer tunnels (TRL 4)

• Several activities on material testing (TRL 2/3) and Structural Health Monitoring (TRL 2/3) 

• Proof of concept, limited long-term relevant environment testing of materials

Assembled Surface Structures – Proof of Concept (TRL 2-5)

• Demonstrations of autonomous robotic assembly of precision truss and voxel-based structures , mechanical joining, 

non-flight rated, no outfitting; Ex. ARMADAS (TRL 5), PASS (TRL 4)

• Robotic assembly of a tall Power/Comm tower under development, not flight rated, no outfitting (TRL 4)

• Concepts for the assembly of Blast Containment Shields and Shelters (truss and panel assemblies) (TRL 2/3)

Technology Gaps

Ø Accelerated materials and creep testing for inflatable structures

Ø Integration of hard structures into inflatables (hatches, windows, bulkheads, attachment points) 

Ø Structural health monitoring of istructures

Ø Advanced joining methods for assembly (e.g., in-space welding, reversable joining)

Ø Production of ISRU-based structural elements for Assembly

Ø Pressure sealing for pressurized assembled structures Precision Assembled 

Space Structures 

(PASS)

Deployable Vertical Solar Array (VSAT)

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM)

Inflatable 

crew 

transfer 

tunnel 

concept

Assembled Blast Containment Shield (BCS) 

concept
• Investment grade: Yellow

Class III Surface Construction

Capability State of the Art, Current Activities, and Technology Gaps

SoA & Current Activities

In-situ Additive Construction – (TRL 2-5)

• Multiple processes in various stages of development; Most in the TRL 3/4 range of maturity

• Laser melting TRL 3/4; Cementitious TRL 2-4; Microwave sintering TRL 3/4; Molten regolith extrusion TRL 4; 

Polymer/regolith extrusion TRL 4/5 

• Challenges: deposition of material in a vacuum, process V&V, scale-up, power requirements

Surface Stabilization, Foundations, Anchors – Concepts formulated (TRL 2)

• Several NIAC activities funded in past on surface stabilization for landing pads

NDE, Modeling, Analysis – Proof of Concept (TRL 2-4)

• Several SBIR activities related to NDE and damage analysis; Laser ultrasonic testing for defects; smart optical 

spectroscopy for metal additive manufacturing

Technology Gaps

Ø Deposition of print material in low-pressure environment while controlling porosity

Ø High-temperature materials for LLPs

Ø LLP Paver joining

Ø Surface stabilization, Foundations, and Anchors

Ø Repair technologies

Ø Process inspection and control

Ø In-situ V&V of construction materials

Process Development

Laser melting in vacuum

Microwave 

sintering in 

vacuum

Molten 

extrusion in 

vacuum

Additive Construction

Terrestrial printing of cementitious material

Polymerregolith 

printing in 

a vacuum
Surface Construction

• Additional Cross-cutting Gaps for Class II and Class III Construction

Ø Master Planning and ConOps studies to determine construction needs and requirements 

Ø Geotechnical and seismic characterization to inform foundation design

Ø Building requirements and standards

Ø Long-life robotic construction equipment and tools

Ø Cranes, manipulators, and mobility systems for asset offloading and positioning

Ø Robotics and specialized tools for structural assembly and repair

Ø Specialized robotics/tools for in-situ additive construction 

Ø Dust tolerant/abrasion resistant systems/mechanisms

Ø Autonomy for complex construction and inspection tasks

Ø Inspection methods (e.g., process, materials, structures)

Ø Outfitting

Ø End-to-end ground demonstrations for infrastructure construction leading to lunar 

surface demos (tall towers, roads, LLPs and BCS) 

Class II: Assembly & Deployables

Class III: In-situ Construction
Outfitting

Capability Description, Outcomes, and State of the Art

Capability Description

Ø The process by which a structure is transformed into a useable system by in-situ

installation of subsystems. 

Ø Subsystem installation

Ø In-situ testing/validation and inspection techniques with associated metrology

Ø Structural repair and enhancement

Outcomes (affects most systems that are not landed in operational self-contained state)

Ø Power, Lighting, Data & Communications distributed through system

Ø Fluids & Gasses (ISRU products) managed and stored.

Ø ECLSS

Ø Hatches and Penetrations

Ø Interior Furnishing

SoA: Preintegrated structures, with manual in-situ upgrades and repairs.

Capability or KPP SoA Threshold Goal

Conductor/Cable and 

Piping/Tubing line management 

(LM)

ISS Preintegrated on 

ground, EVA upgrades and 

repairs

LM during construction using Earth-sourced harness 

(50% auto.). Manual repair; Post-construction manual 

LM for facility enhancement. 

LM during construction using ISRU derived harness 

(100% auto.). Selected auto. repair and 

enhancement/expansion.

Penetration management (PM) 

including through pressure 

vessels (Habitats, tanks, shelters, 

blast shield etc.)

ISS Preintegrated on 

ground, NO post launch 

penetrations added.

PM during construction using Earth-sourced materials 

(50% auto.). Manual repair; Post-construction manual 

PM for facility enhancement. 

PM during construction using ISRU derived 

material (100% auto.). Selected auto. repair and 

enhancement

Attachment of secondary 

systems to structures.

ISS Preintegrated some IVA 

and EVA rerouting. 

Attachment to arbitrary surfaces and structures. Reversible attachment to arbitrary surfaces and 

structures on 3D printed structures.

Inspection systems to verify 

installation and functionality.

Pressure test piping, geometry charac. for assembly 

verification, load test of foundations, continuity/signal 

strength for communications/wiring.

Continuous process monitoring, equivalency 

testing, structural health monitoring for 3D 

printed habitat by 2035.

Apollo 14: Setting up long duration experiments. 

Wiring harness for

Instruments, beacons, etc.

Not all activities depicted are currently funded or approved. Depicts “notional future” to guide technology development vision.
Outfitting

Capability State of the Art, Current Activities, and Technology Gaps

Outfitting SoA & Current Activities

Design and Prototype Outfitting Elements– (TRL 2-4)

• XHab Challenge – explore approaches to habitat outfitting; Trade and prototype components 

and interior goods for habitats; some testing of human and robotic outfitting tasks (TRL 2/3)

• Several NASA-led activities related to printing of components that could be used in the 

outfitting process (TRL 3/4)

• Printing parts using polymer binders with regolith filler

• On-demand additive manufacturing using metals, polymers, electronics

• Large-scale printing of flooring and walls.

Technology Gaps

Ø Architectural and ConOps studies

Ø Outfitting requirements and standards

Ø Robotic outfitting technologies for installation of lighting, harnesses, beacons, sensors, 

fluid systems, HVAC, etc.

Ø Design of pressure vessel connections/seals with penetrations

Ø Common interface definition

Ø Inspection methods & repairs

Ø Utility corridor design

Ø Autonomy for complex outfitting and inspection tasks

Apollo 14: Setting up long duration experiments. 

Wiring harness for

Instruments, beacons, etc.

Trenching 

and cable 

laying

Cable 

handling 

Outfitted 

facility
Mapping Top Priority Gaps to ECO Capability Areas & Taxonomy

StarPort

Gap ID

Gap Title Excavation for 

ISRU and 

construction 

feedstock

Regolith 

Manipulation 

and Site Prep

Class II 

Construction

Class III 

Construction

Outfitting ESDMD Gap/ 

Architecture 

Elements

Taxonomy

369 Excavation of granular (surface) regolith material for ISRU consumables production & construction feedstock X X 7.1.2

385 Regolith and resource delivery system X X X 7.1.2

386 Mechanisms and mobility components for long-duration operations with abrasive regolith in the lunar environment X X X X X 12.3.2

389 Sensors for regolith collection and excavation force measurement X X X 4.1.1, 7.1.1

390 Rugged low mass robotic excavation and site prep platforms X X X 4.2.4, 7.1.2

391 Sensors and systems for geotechnical characterization X X X 7.1.1, 13.5.2 

392 Sensors and systems for high-resolution topological characterization X X 7.1.1, 13.5.2 

394 Excavation - Autonomous rock clearing/collection X X 7.2.3, 13.5.2 

395 Excavation - Autonomous grading and leveling X X 7.2.3, 13.5.2 

396 Excavation - Autonomous surface compaction X X 7.2.3, 13.5.2 

416 Deposition of print material in low-pressure environment while controlling porosity X 7.2.3.4

418 Materials for Printing Landing / Launch pad structural elements (materials gap) X 7.2.3.4

421 V&V: Process Inspection and Control X X 12.4.2

422 V&V: In-situ Verification and Validation of Construction Materials X 7.1.4, 12.4.2

434 Transportation of loose regolith within an AC system for deposition X 7.2.3

617 Assembled Truss-based Tower X X 7.2.3

618 Autonomy and robotics for tower assembly X 4.3, 7.2.3

619 Assembled Joint Catalog X 7.2.3

620 Assembled Shelter X X 7.2.3

621 Assembled Blast Containment Shield (BCS) X X 7.2.3

623 Outfitting: Design & Integrate Electrical Harness X 7.2.3.5, 13.5.7

624 Outfitting: Connect Lights, Sensors, etc. X 7.2.3.5, 13.5.7

629 Power/communication tower super gap X X X X 7.2.3

630 Outfit tower with photovoltaics or reflector to form power tower X 7.2.3

631 ISRU-based structural elements for surface assembly X X 7.2.2, 7.2.3

635 Foundation anchors for surface assembly and construction X X X 7.2.3

636 Structural elements catalog for assembly X 7.2.3

661 Power and wireless recharging X X X X X X 3.3.2

662 Robotic site preparation system (parent gap to 394, 395, 396) X X X X 4.2.4, 7.2.3, 13.5.2 

663 Outfitting - Power and Data Cable line management X 7.2.3

666 ISRU-based Additive Construction of Horizontal Structures. X X 7.2.3

673 Regolith LLP paver joining and repair X 7.2.2, 7.2.3

674 Road construction X X X 7.2.3

1293 In-situ construction of launch/landing pads X X X 7.2.3

1294 ISRU Paver/brick production for LLP structures (processing gap) X X 7.2.2

1335 Offload Payloads from Lander X 4.3
Plan to Develop ECO Capabilities

• Overall Plan

Ø Technology development roadmaps and requirements have been developed 

that lead to a logical buildup of ECO capabilities and scale that culminate in 

a series of ground and lunar demonstrations

Ø Invest in technology development activities that span entire TRL space

Ø Leverage terrestrial civil engineering expertise through NASA solicitations 

and public-private partnerships

Ø Leverage APL/LSIC Working Groups to perform reviews, studies, & 

integration

• Next Steps

Ø Continue existing high-priority activities, assess progress of funded activities 

towards closing gaps, identify and plan the next phase of investments.

Ø Continue modest internal and external pilot projects addressing top 

priorities and initiate new projects (top priorities presented herein)

Ø Identify and plan ground and lunar surface demos necessary for gap closure
Adequate investment

Some investment

Little/no investment

ECO EFP – Priority Activities

1. Complete the IPEx project and conduct the first lunar surface excavation demo

Ø Fully fund and complete development and ground testing of IPEx excavation system

Ø Pursue lunar surface test of IPEx to demonstrate the excavation and delivery of 10mT loose regolith (potential 2026 lunar 

demonstration)

Ø Icy regolith excavation technology developments on hold until better knowledge is obtained from VIPER on the nature of 

the regolith

2. Initiate internal and industry-led projects to develop pilot-scale robotic systems to support integrated ECO 

ground and lunar demonstrations, working towards initial commercial capability (ISRU and site prep apps)

Ø Initiate the development of regolith delivery systems to support ISRU commodity production and construction

Ø Continue and expand the development and scale-up of robotic systems and implements for site prep and regolith 

manipulation

Ø Initiate the development of cross-cutting capabilities for robotic ECO platforms (addressing both excavation and site prep)

Ø Low mass rugged robotic platforms 

Ø Modularity and interfaces for reconfigurability and repairability

Ø Survive multiple lunar nights or shadowed regions

Ø Autonomy for high throughput and cooperative operations

3. Initiate internal and industry-led projects to develop technologies for the assembly and outfitting of large-scale 

truss-based structures on the lunar surface (see Integrated Demos in Priority Activity #5)

Ø Initiate a seedling study and follow-on project to develop and demonstrate the assembly and outfitting of a tall trussbased Power and Comm tower (leverage existing PASS, ARMADAS and TLT projects, integration of Power, ECO, Comm, 

Robotics)

Ø Initiate a seedling study and project definition for the assembly and outfitting of shelters and shields

Ø 2023 SBIR topic added for the assembly and outfitting of tall truss-based towers
ECO EFP – Priority Activities

4. Continue and Expand Development of ISRU-based Materials and Processes for Lunar Surface Construction

Ø Continue to develop/demonstrate multiple viable ISRU-based structural materials and processes for the construction 

of structures in lunar environment (sintered regolith, binder/regolith blend, molten regolith)

Ø Initiate new work on metals extraction, molten material handling, casting and printing of parts for construction and 

repairs and spares (collaboration w/ ISRU & Adv. Man.)

Ø 2023 SBIR topic added for the development of ISRU-based truss elements for assembly

Ø Develop detailed construction feedstock material requirements

5. Develop a series of integrated technology demonstrations (priorities in bold)

Ø Tall tower for Lunar Comm and 100-200 kWe power generation (ECO, Power, Comm, Robotics, Auto Sys.)

Ø Tall towers needed to meet Comm requirements for Artemis

Ø Tall power tower can provide near-continuous power for Artemis camp, tech demos, and initial commercial activities

Ø Modular robotic system for excavation and site preparation (ECO, Robotics, Auto Sys.)

Ø Large-scale system for surface grading, compacting and bulk regolith manipulation (load, haul, dump)

Ø Demonstrate autonomous reconfiguration and repair of sub-systems (e.g., wheels, battery, avionics, actuators, implements)

Ø Shelter construction and outfitting (ECO, Robotics, Auto Sys., Adv. Man., Power, Comm)

Ø Launch/landing facility construction and outfitting (ECO, EDL, Robotics, Auto Sys., Adv. Man., Power, Comm)

Ø ISRU-based material production and manufacturing (ECO, ISRU, Adv. Man.)
ECO EFP – Priority Activities

6. Master planning exercise

Ø Benefit from a “Master Plan” exercise for site/infrastructure which will help focus technologies and capabilities and 

incentivize industry investment

Ø Leverage input from industry on the development of architecture designs and concept of operation studies

Ø Deriving “requirements” and providing a clear understanding of what a sustainable and scalable lunar infrastructure 

and economy could look like

7. Maintenance and Repair

Ø Initiate funding in the area of development of Digital Twins of E&C assets in lunar environment with the intention of 

better understanding of M&R. Adopt Digital Twin as the core element of predictive maintenance of lunar E&C assets. 

Ø Leverage learnings from Industry 4 paradigm that is being adopted by many leading companies as predictive 

maintenance using digital twins is a big part of Industry 4.

Ø Leverage NASA programs by mandating that developing M&R protocols should be an integral part of their architecture 

or deliverable.