Designing Lunar Water Collection System

The heated regolith scooper blades serve a crucial function in the extraction of lunar water by addressing the regolith layer that forms on the surface as sublimation occurs. On the lunar surface, water is mixed with regolith rather than existing as pure ice, and as sublimation begins, loosened regolith accumulates and blocks the upward flow of vapor into the capture tent. To maintain continuous sublimation, this obstructive layer must be periodically removed, which is the purpose of the heated scooper blades. Integrated inside the capture tent, the blades are designed to cut through and push regolith away from the sublimation zone, ensuring vapor can rise freely for collection. The mechanism is built around a vertically oriented axle that supports both translational and rotational motion of the blades. A motor-driven threaded shaft lowers the blade assembly at timed intervals, allowing it to engage the surface, while a second motor rotates the blades to sweep material aside. Their contoured geometry is optimized to efficiently displace regolith without interfering with sublimation. Heating is applied not to melt regolith but to raise its temperature by conduction, making scooping more efficient. I contributed to this system by focusing on the blade design, modeling it in SolidWorks, and performing mathematical analysis to evaluate loading conditions, thermal requirements, and energy transfer. For example, calculations showed that raising the blade’s temperature by 100 K required approximately 1.21 MJ of energy, confirming the feasibility of embedding electrical heating elements. In addition, I supported the optical subsystem by conducting mathematical modeling to aid in sensor alignment and system accuracy. Together, these efforts ensured the scooper blades were structurally sound, thermally viable, and fully integrated within the larger excavation system.