Abstract
An inspiring design competition, vehicles suitable for Manufacturing on the Moon, were displayed and critiqued by a panel of judges.
Apprentices in engineering and manufacturing technologies from all years were invited to work in teams from their institution and build models to demonstrate their innovative ideas for manufacturing on the Moon. A team of national judges selected the winner, presenting the awards at Cranfield University on 19th May 2015.
Winning teams:
1: Global Closure Systems
2: Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
3: MoD
Apprentices can provide a major skill base required to rebuild UK manufacturing. Apprenticeships are about designing, making and maintaining products (manufacturing) and making things work (engineering). This competition was open to apprentices from across the UK manufacturing sectors, including: aerospace, automotive, defence, energy, oil and gas, food, furniture, glass and process industry. The competition allowed the teams to stretch their imagination and further develop their team working skills.
Manufacturing on the Moon was an ambitious project, it is necessary to exploit opportunities on the Moon for the benefit of us on Earth. Lunar resources will become a vital element in space exploration and colonisation of the Moon in the 21st century. The development and operation of manufacturing plants on the Moon would enable the production of equipment, housing and spare parts locally to support a permanently manned lunar base as a distinct opportunity.
Research groups around the world are looking to utilise the low gravity level (1/6th of Earth) on the Moon to develop novel manufacturing technologies for lunar application (such as 3D printing) and construction structures and manufacturing techniques. Mining of lunar materials has attracted research teams to develop a new generation of mining equipment that could actually be manufactured and assembled on the Moon.
