Objective
Raw materials scarcity and the geographical dependency for critical materials is a growing concern within the EU. As demands for materials and minerals keeps on increasing, directing our view to space becomes an option to be considered. Humankind has continued to expand its reach beyond Earth, for which establishing a permanent base on the Moon is necessary. Launching technology has a large economic and ecological footprint. Producing resources, such as metals, cement-like materials and oxygen, in situ on other planets is thus required and should happen in a sustainable way. But testing the processes under the relevant conditions is time-consuming and expensive or, if executed on Earth, impossible. This is currently limiting further developments of these processes. Modelling can play a pivotal role in this. But the limited previous research did not focus enough on correct input data or experimental validation.
The current proposal will for the first time develop a terrestrial methodology to enable the design of a method to produce metal, oxygen and concrete- or glass-substitutes from lunar regolith with solar-produced electricity on the Moon. This combination of resources being extracted will enable the development of a waste-free in-situ resource utilisation process on the Moon without the need for extra reactants.
For this, several important aspects are currently unknown and will be investigated in detail: metal and oxygen extraction, heating, mixing and castability of molten oxide and glass formation from molten oxide. To take into account the lunar gravitation, which is experimentally practically impossible to do, the combined modelling-experimental approach in the proposed research is essential and to be applied for the first time in this context. The process is first investigated under terrestrial conditions, both experimentally and with a model, which is validated with the experiments. The validated model is then adapted to lunar gravity.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences natural satellites
- engineering and technology materials engineering
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9000 GENT
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.