Date of Submission
Spring 5-7-2026
Project Type
Senior Design
Minor
Aerospace Engineering
Major
Mechanical Engineering
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Gaurav Sharma
Abstract
This project describes the preliminary design and analysis of the Semi-Autonomous Lunar Regolith Sintered Brick Apparatus that will assist in developing permanent infrastructure on the Moon. An issue with permanent lunar operations is the transportation of materials to the Moon. To address this, the designed device uses lunar regolith as the source material for producing bricks. This design considers the constraints set for operation with the Griffin lunar lander: maximum payload mass of 200 kg, power consumption below 5 kW, and limited payload dimensions. The design uses a combination of a laser sintering motion system, a regolith layering subsystem, a brick shaping mold, and an ejection system. The goal dimensions of a single brick are 92 x 57 x 194 mm with a minimum compressive strength of 1600 psi. Four designs were analyzed based on their weighted scores for the following design constraints: power consumption, weight, volume, brick quality, complexity, manufacturability, and autonomy. Design 1 had the highest weighted score of 1.98 and was chosen for further development. Trade-off studies for the material of the frame and laser power were also done. This led to a frame material of 304 stainless steel for resistance against lunar dust and a 200-watt sintering laser for a balance between manufacturing capability and power consumption. The initial development and simulation results showed a factor of safety of 1.34 under conservative drop test conditions, and a thermal analysis of the laser system showed that it can withstand the thermal requirements of the 200-watt laser.
Included in
Electro-Mechanical Systems Commons, Space Habitation and Life Support Commons, Structures and Materials Commons