Lecturer: Leslie Gertsch, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Dr. Leslie Gertsch has degrees in geological engineering and mining engineering from Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and has worked for the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the CSM Excavation Engineering and Earth Mechanics Institute, the CSM Center for Space Mining, and Michigan Technological University. Dr. Gertsch is now at Missouri University of Science and Technology (MS&T), where she teaches geological and mining engineering, and the MS&T Rock Mechanics and Explosives Research Center, where she is Director of the Space Resources Laboratory. Dr. Gertsch is active in the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration; the Space Resources Roundtable; the AIAA Space Resources Technical Committee; and the ASCE Aerospace Division. She has published over 100 papers, reports, and presentations.
Topic: Mining and Beneficiation
Sustaining human and robotic activities in space requires the ability to produce commodities from the natural resources found there. This begins with mining and beneficiation and proceeds to manufacturing. Successful in situ resource utilization (ISRU) will depend on practical understanding of the space environment and the body of knowledge accumulated over millennia of terrestrial experience. This module outlines that body of knowledge and examines some potential approaches to translating it to space. The readings contrast current industry practices with the present state of ISRU.
Recommended Readings:
Example terrestrial mine preliminary assessment report, 2007 (click here to download)
Mars Water ISRU Planning Study, 2016 (click here to download)
Recorded talk: click to view