Cislunar Space: How Humanity Plans to Expand Between Earth and the Moon

Humanity’s plans for expanding between Earth and the Moon are focused on developing infrastructure in the Cislunar space, a region extending 384,400 km (238,855 mi) from Earth to the Moon. This expansion involves various space missions aimed at building lunar habitats, landing pads, and other necessary technologies. Space Domain Awareness (SDA) will be crucial for managing this increased activity and ensuring the safety of spacecraft in this region. Key players include NASA’s Artemis Program, China’s Chang’e missions, and ESA’s proposals for lunar habitats.

Summary

• Cislunar Space: The area between Earth and the Moon, crucial for future lunar exploration.
• Space Domain Awareness (SDA): Essential for tracking objects and operations in Cislunar space.
• NASA’s Artemis Program: Aims to return humans to the Moon, starting with Artemis II and III missions.
• China’s International Lunar Research Station (ILRS): A planned lunar base to rival NASA’s efforts.
• ESA’s Lunar Habitat Master Plan: Proposes a scalable habitat system for up to 144 people.
• Challenges: Include managing the Three-Body Problem and improving SDA capabilities.
• Future Missions: Focus on lunar surface habitats, rovers, and in-situ resource utilization.

Expansion into Cislunar Space

Cislunar space is the region of space that lies between Earth and the Moon. This area, approximately 384,400 km (238,855 mi) wide, is becoming increasingly important as various space agencies and organizations prepare for a future with permanent human presence on the Moon. This expansion involves not only landing on and exploring the lunar surface but also developing infrastructure that supports long-term habitation and resource utilization.

NASA’s Artemis Program

NASA’s Artemis Program is central to the U.S.’s strategy for lunar exploration. The program aims to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon, starting with the Artemis II mission, which is planned for no earlier than September 2025. This mission will feature the first crewed flight around the Moon since the Apollo missions. It will be followed by Artemis III in September 2026, the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Artemis III will see astronauts land on the Moon using the Human Landing System (HLS), developed by SpaceX. The Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts to lunar orbit, where they will transfer to the HLS for their descent to the lunar surface. During their 30-day stay, astronauts will conduct experiments and gather samples.

Following Artemis III, NASA will focus on deploying the core elements of the Lunar Gateway, which is set to launch in 2027. The Artemis IV mission, scheduled for September 2028, will involve a crew of four transferring from the Orion spacecraft to the Lunar Gateway for the first time. Future missions will aim to establish the Artemis Base Camp, including:

• Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV): A rover to transport crew around the landing zone.
• Habitability Mobility Platform (HMP): A pressurized rover for extended lunar surface trips.
• Lunar Foundation Surface Habitat (LFSH): A habitat for short-term stays on the lunar surface.

For more details on NASA’s plans, see NASA’s Artemis Plan.

International Lunar Research Station (ILRS)

China and Russia have announced plans for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). This station will be developed in three phases:

1. Reconnaissance Phase: Ending with the Chang’e-7 mission in 2026, this phase involves exploring the lunar surface around the South Pole-Aitken Basin for resources and potential habitat sites. More on Chang’e-6.
2. Construction Phase: From 2026 to 2035, this phase will focus on building the ILRS infrastructure.
3. Development Phase: Ongoing work to expand and refine the ILRS capabilities.

China’s plans can be explored further on the CNSA website.

European Space Agency (ESA) Proposals

The European Space Agency (ESA) has proposed several concepts for a lunar base. These include:

• Moon Village: An idea for a facility extending beneath the lunar surface with a dome covered in regolith. ESA’s Moon Village.
• Lunar Habitat Master Plan: Developed with the architecture firm Hassel, this modular, scalable habitat can accommodate up to 144 people. Hassel’s Lunar Habitat Master Plan.

The Importance of Space Domain Awareness (SDA)

Space Domain Awareness (SDA), also known as space situational awareness, is crucial for safe and efficient operations in space. According to Brian Baker-McEvilly, an aerospace engineering graduate student, SDA involves having comprehensive knowledge of objects in a specific region without direct communication with them. This knowledge helps avoid collisions, ensures accurate tracking, and provides insight into other space activities.

SDA is becoming increasingly important as Cislunar space becomes more crowded with satellites, spacecraft, and other infrastructure. The study conducted by Baker-McEvilly and his colleagues highlighted two major trends:

1. Sustainable Operations: Many future missions focus on technologies that support sustainable operations on the Moon, such as water harvesting from lunar regolith and efficient landing methods.
2. Strategic Value of the Lunar South Pole: This region is significant due to its permanently shadowed craters containing water, and its orbit is well-suited for sustainable operations.

For further information on SDA, refer to the study here.

Challenges and Solutions

The expansion into Cislunar space presents several challenges:

• Three-Body Problem: The motion of objects in Cislunar space is complicated. This is because Earth’s gravity and the Moon’s gravity both affect objects there. We need new ways to understand and predict how spacecraft will move in this area. These new methods help us solve problems related to the paths that spacecraft will take.
• SDA Limitations: Current SDA methods, such as Earth-based sensors, struggle with the vast distances and challenging illumination conditions in Cislunar space. Improvements are needed in sensor technology and network coverage.

Possible solutions include:

• Placing Sensors on the Moon: To provide more comprehensive coverage of Cislunar space.
• Enhancing Earth-Based Sensors: Improving existing sensor networks.
• Deploying Satellite-Based Sensors: Creating constellations of sensors throughout Cislunar space.

Humanity has big plans to grow and expand in the space between Earth and the Moon. This area is called Cislunar space. Different space agencies have their own programs to achieve this goal. As activities in Cislunar space increase, we need to be very aware of what is happening there. This is called Space Domain Awareness. It’s about keeping track of objects and activities in space. To successfully build and explore in lunar space, we must face challenges and create new solutions.

Further Reading

• arXiv Paper on Cislunar SDA
• Hassel’s Lunar Master Plan
• ESA’s Moon Village Assessment
• SOM’s Moon Village Proposal
• ESA’s Euronews on Moon Village
• Chang’e-6 Mission Information
• CNSA Information on Chang’e Missions
• NASA’s Lunar Surface Habitat Layout
• NASA’s Artemis Plan
• NASA’s Request for Lunar Rover Ideas
• NASA’s Human Landing Systems
• NASA’s Space Launch System
• NASA’s Artemis III Mission
• NASA’s Artemis II Mission
• NASA’s Artemis Program

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