Building on research underway for military and expeditionary construction, this research aims to establish methods for the design and testing of the materials mixtures derived from the lunar surface with minimal or no additives that need to be transported from the Earth. This paper will review opportunities and challenges of demonstrated and experimental construction methods such as concreting and sintering as well as discuss the need to evaluate and develop these methods using regolith simulants more representative of the lunar highlands where the NASA Artemis mission proposes to land in both its mineralogical and agglutinated properties. Advanced materials research based on accurate chemical and physical characteristics of extraterrestrial materials is among the first steps towards establishing a methodology that will form a proposed future ASCE Manual of Practice for evaluating and implementing best practices for in-situ lunar construction.

Access the Conference Proceedings Paper on ASCE Library 

Building on research underway for military and expeditionary construction, this research aims to establish methods for the design and testing of the materials mixtures derived from the lunar surface with minimal or no additives that need to be transported from the Earth. This paper will review opportunities and challenges of demonstrated and experimental construction methods such as concreting and sintering as well as discuss the need to evaluate and develop these methods using regolith simulants more representative of the lunar highlands where the NASA Artemis mission proposes to land in both its mineralogical and agglutinated properties. Advanced materials research based on accurate chemical and physical characteristics of extraterrestrial materials is among the first steps towards establishing a methodology that will form a proposed future ASCE Manual of Practice for evaluating and implementing best practices for in-situ lunar construction.

**[Access the Conference Proceedings Paper on ASCE Library](https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483374.017)** 

Applying Terrestrial Geo-Material Science Methodology to Lunar ISRU Construction

This conference brought the experience and knowledge of experts in the aerospace industry together to share and discuss the latest research and engineering techniques that effect the exploration and settlement of space. Presentations were made in multiple concurrent symposia over three days. Topics included: Granular materials in space exploration, exploration in utilization of extra-terrestrial bodies, advanced materials and designs for aerospace and terrestrial structures under extreme environment, structures in challenging environments, and space engineering, construction, and architecture for the moon, Mars, and beyond.

Due to challenges with COVID-19, this 17th Biennial was moved to April 2021 and was offered in a virtual format.

[Paper Proceedings](https://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/earthandspace2021)

Conference DOI: https://doi.org/10.26226/m.63243a3fb7ff860013acd57f