Cooperative Lunar Landing Pads
Project Contributor: Ashley Kosak | Project Advisor: Luis ZeaWorking to enable sustainable lunar exploration through collaborative landing infrastructure.
Open Lunar Impact
Cooperative landing pads enable our vision towards a portfolio of lunar utilities through shared infrastructure to support future lunar missions.
About the Project
This research outlines the need for a coordinated effort to build Lunar landing pad infrastructure, and it addresses logistics considerations, and design elements, performs a case study on the return on investment, and explores the various cooperative business structures.
About the Need
Given the potentially limited number of suitable landing sites Lunar Landing pads will be a critical piece of infrastructure as activity on the lunar surface increases.
Competition: Alleviate the need for actors to compete for landing sites
Environment: Lunar landing pads will protect sites from dust ejecta caused by landing and take-offs, ultimately minimising the impact to lunar surface, as well as ensuring the integrity of sites that are under scientific investigation. .
Accelerate infrastructure development: Through a shared approach multiple actors can work together on the development and construction of pads, focusing on their areas of expertise within the value chain.
International cooperation: Shared infrastructure reduces the risk of sites or infrastructure being monopolized by one actor, allowing for more states to engage in lunar exploration.
About the Solution
To address these challenges, we propose a business model for cooperative landing pads, inclusive of conceptual operating and governance models. This proposal could catalyze the discussion towards the actual development of Lunar Landing pads, whilst offering a framework for cooperation.
Research White Paper
Research Showcase video