Sustainable Lunar Habitat Protection against Damage by Meteoroid Impacts

Sustainability is a key consideration in the design and establishment of human habitats on the Moon (and on Mars as well). One hazard faced by such habitats is the damage that can be caused by the impact of a meteoroid on a critical habitat structure or structural component. In this paper we discuss various approaches to meteoroid shielding for lunar habitats, focusing on approaches that use resources mined or extracted from the moon. Advantages and disadvantages of these various techniques are also presented and discussed. The Moon's mineralogy is highlighted, and suggestions are presented for materials that can be used to develop meteoroid shielding for lunar habitats and which are comprised primarily or entirely of lunar materials. The paper concludes with recommendations for continuing work in optimizing the design of meteoroid shielding for lunar habitats, including suggestions for a test program that can be performed to garner data on the effectiveness of some of the proposed shielding approaches.