Co-chairs: Robert Mueller, NASA Kennedy Space Center and Kris Zacny, PhD, Honeybee Robotics

This symposium will focus on methodologies, techniques, instruments, concepts, missions and system level designs associated with exploration and utilization of Solar System bodies, with emphasis on the Moon, Mars, Ocean Worlds, and Asteroids. The topic covers both robotic and human exploration. Many of the various types of civil, geological, mining, chemical and materials engineering fields are needed to sustain space exploration and space commercialization. The topic also covers legal and ethical aspects of space exploration and space mining.

Standard practices will have to be adapted, and new practices will have to be developed, to be able to rely on the natural resources of near-Earth asteroids, the Moon, and Mars to sustain human and robotic activities in space. Engineering systems and economics concepts, as well as mechanical, robotic, and structural engineering solutions are needed as well. While there is always room for robust and innovative new concepts, the testing, refining, and more testing of previously proposed concepts are especially sought.

Special Topics:

1. Robotic Mobility in Extreme Terrain
2. Landers and hoppers
3. Drilling and Sample Handling
4. Space mining
5. In Situ Resource Utilization
6. Instruments and Sensors
7. Resource Prospecting
8. Mission Concepts
9. Space habitats and structures
#. General Topics: Papers related to Symposium 2 on all other topics not listed above
(Please see the keywords at the bottom of this page to decide if your paper belongs to this symposium)

Keywords

• economic geology of space
• new equipment concepts
• orbital dynamics for mine planning and scheduling
• sample handling and processing technologies
• low gravity anchoring devices and techniques
• space commercialization, policy and law
• drilling and melting
• mining and processing automation
• equipment and system capability definition
• planetary drilling and regolith excavation
• planetary drilling and regolith excavation
• planetary mechanisms driven by electro-active actuation materials
• surface stabilization
• space transportation systems
• landers and hoppers
• physical and numerical testing
• regolith operations
• mobility and robotics systems
• dust mitigation
• life support systems
• surface habitation systems
• others

Co-Chairs: Nick Zhou, PhD, University of Tennessee; Mike Fiske, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Yunlan ‘Emma’ Zhang, PhD, University of Texas at Austin

New techniques in experimental, computational, and analytical mechanics are expanding the understanding of the behavior of composite, smart, and other materials with applications to aerospace structures and other terrestrial structures under extreme environmental conditions. Exciting combinations of fundamental studies and practical applications by government and industry are expanding the design and analysis capabilities for aerospace structures as well as terrestrial structures to be used in extreme environments. Recent advances and studies on materials and structures as well as their design aspects in terrestrial aviation and space applications and related structures are particularly solicited.

Special Session Topics:

1. Ballistic Impact and Crashworthiness of Aerospace Structures
2. Design and Construction in Extreme Terrestrial Environments
3. Coastal resilience under extreme weather conditions
4. Energy Efficient Structures and Habitats
5. Advanced and Alternative Cementitious Materials
6. Composite materials for Aerospace
7. Materials and Structures for Extraterrestrial Environmental Extremes
8. Architected Materials for Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Structural Applications
9. Materials, Mechanisms and Structures for In-space Manufacturing
#. General Topics: Papers related to Symposium 3 on all other topics not listed above
(Please see the keywords at the bottom of this page to decide if your paper belongs to this symposium)

Special Session Descriptions:

 1. Ballistic Impact and Crashworthiness of Aerospace Structures
Session organizer/s: Justin Littell, Ph.D., NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA ( E-Mail: justin.d.littell@nasa.gov)  

The special session is focused high strain rate testing and simulation involving structural impacts at velocities ranging from ballistic conditions to bird strikes to vehicle crash events.  Associated impact simulations utilizing state-of-the-art nonlinear explicit transient dynamic finite element codes are desired.  Impacts involving aerospace and automotive structures that are constructed of unique materials, especially advanced composite materials, are encouraged. Finally, the topic of vehicle crashworthiness encompasses a variety of subtopics such as human tolerance to impact, modeling of crash test dummies, seats and restraints, airbag technology, and modeling of impact surfaces including soil and water.     

 2. Design and Construction in Extreme Terrestrial Environments
Session Organizers: Sudarshan Krishnan, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (E-mail.  skrishnn@illinois.edu); Lucas Laughery, Ph.D., Senior Structural Engineer, ICON, Austin, TX (E-mail. llaughery@iconbuild.com) 

Extreme environments are those dominated by conditions uncharacteristic to human comfort. The factors of extremity may include one or more of the following: gravity, pressure, temperature, terrain, oxygen level, natural disasters, radiation, isolation, saline subsurface conditions, among other location-specific conditions. This session is focused on design and construction in extreme terrestrial environments. Topics of focus are new concepts, engineering analysis and design methods, case-studies and new designs, efficient construction methods and technologies, research and development.

Some questions that may be answered through the presentations in this session include: In what ways would a building in extreme conditions on earth be different from what we are used to? What are the likely loads experienced by the structures? How should we design for specific extreme terrestrial environments — polar regions, mountains, deserts, and underwater? How should we design structures to adapt to multiple challenging conditions? How does design promote human health and well-being? What structural forms, systems, and construction materials lend themselves well for extreme earth environments? What are suitable and efficient construction methods for different extreme environments? How to make design cost-effective? What lessons from design for earth environments can be adapted to outer-space design?

3. Coastal Resilience Under Extreme Weather Conditions
Session organizers: Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (E-mail. landolfrb@miami.edu); Ioannis Zisis, Florida International University, Miami, FL (E-mail. izisis@fiu.edu) 

Strong winds and storm surge associated with extreme weather events have been responsible for some of the deadliest and costliest disasters in recent years. Many of these disasters have occurred in coastal cities and urban areas where population continues to increase. With tropical storms and hurricanes likely to be exacerbated by climate change, this session will focus on research and developments around climate resilience from better understanding the related hazards and their impacts on coastal structures and infrastructure systems to identifying novel solutions through numerical modeling and physical testing. Topics of interest include computational modeling and experimental testing of wind, surge and/or wave loads on structures and related aspects in the structural design and adaptation of the built environment. Solutions of shoreline protection are also of interest. The session aims to provide a forum between researchers and practitioners to discuss advances in coastal resilience, identify challenges and opportunities, and create synergies and collaborations.

4. Energy Efficient Structures and Habitats
Session Organizer: Jialai Wang, Ph.D., The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL ( E-Mail: jwang@eng.ua.edu)  

The special session is focused on energy-efficient structures and habitats that are suitable for earth and space applications. The topic encompasses a range of topics including the use of emerging materials and technologies such as Phase Change Materials (PCM), high-insulation structural composites, hydronic heating and cooling, combined structural and thermal analysis and simulations, and the structural responses under elevated (or cryogenic) temperatures. In addition, submissions pertaining to the scale-up applications of additive manufacturing (e.g., 3-D printing concrete and shelters) and fast-deployable structures are encouraged.

 5. Advanced and Alternative Cementitious Materials
Session Organizer: Chris Ferraro, Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL ( E-Mail: ferraro@ce.ufl.edu)  

The use of new advanced and alternative building materials for the creation and maintenance of structures is beneficial to industry and the environment. This special session includes topics related to new and advanced concepts pertaining to green, resilient, and high-performance materials. The session includes the contributions to the behavior of alternative materials including mechanics, fatigue, fracture, durability, and resilience. Additionally, submissions that address issues in additive manufacturing, and materials applicable for terrestrial and extraterrestrial structures, are encouraged.

 6. Composite Materials for Aerospace
Session Organizer: Gregory Odegard, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, (E-Mail: gmodegar@mtu.edu)  

Composite materials are increasingly used in aeronautical and aerospace applications because of their high specific strength and specific stiffness, as well as their insulative capabilities. However, much research still needs to be performed to improve the efficiency of processing composite structures, as well as improving the properties without sacrificing their low density. This session will focus on efforts to improve properties and processability of composites, including experimental and computational modeling approaches.

 7. Materials and Structures for Extraterrestrial Environmental Extremes
Session Organizer: Dr. Nilanjan Mitra, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (E-Mail: nmitra1@jhu.edu) 

Materials and Structures in Lunar and Martian environment are subjected to unique extreme environmental conditions, some of which are not encountered terrestrially. The extreme environmental conditions include: sharp temperature gradients (diurnal variations of more than 300 K), presence of both significantly high and low temperatures (exhibiting a range from -40 to 400 K), radiation environment (consisting of ionizing radiation such as galactic cosmic radiations, solar energetic particles as well as non-ionizing radiations such as UV since these regions in space are beyond the lower earth orbit protected by the magnetosphere), micrometeorite impacts (as per reports micrometeorite impact velocities are above 2 km/s), dust accumulation (as per reports these dust particles are energetically charged) and vacuum atmosphere in addition to low gravity. A combination of these extreme environment poses challenging restrictions to usage of materials and structures in an extraterrestrial setting. This special session will provide a forum for state of knowledge on the broad topics pertaining to recent investigation of materials and structures subjected to extraterrestrial environmental extremes with a future objective of Lunar and/or Martian habitation, exploration and colonization.

8. Architected Materials for Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Structural Applications
Session organizer: Yunlan “Emma” Zhang, The University of Texas at Austin (E-mail. Yunlan.zhang@austin.utexas.edu)  

Architected materials (mechanical metamaterials) are an emerging class of innovative materials that exhibit extraordinary properties. These materials can be designed to be ultra-stiff, ultra-lightweight, and even respond to external stimuli through tailoring geometry and topology rather than changing composition. This session focuses on such materials that show exceptional behavior and have the potential to be applied in extraterrestrial construction and expeditionary efforts. Related topics include but are not limited to lattice structures, flexible materials, origami, and kirigami. This session is open to all research related to the potential application of architected materials in space environments – whether fabrication-focused, experimental, numerical, or otherwise.

9. Materials, Mechanisms and Structures for In-space Manufacturing
Session organizers: Avinkrishnan Ambika Vijaychandran, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI  (E-mail: avinav@umich.edu); Othman Oudghiri-Idrissi, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; (E-mail:othmanoi@umich.edu);  and Serife Tol, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (E-mail:stol@umich.edu)

Structures designed for in-space manufacturing (ISM) or in-space additive manufacturing (ISAM) offer several advantages over traditional design-test-launch-deploy methods. These structures are not constrained by the limitations imposed by Earth’s gravity or the stresses experienced during launch. Consequently, they can enable the design of large space structures that are very thin and incorporate novel concepts like auxetics and meta-damping, among others. The primary loads expected in these structures arise from spacecraft maneuvering, thermal effects from solar radiation, and vibrations caused by actuators. In this session, the focus will be on the structural design and optimization of large in-space manufactured structures, as well as the development of materials that facilitate in-space manufacturing, including the exploration of novel manufacturing technologies. Additionally, lab-scale testing of materials and structures under various conditions, including but not limited to vacuum, thermal, thermo-vac, and atomic oxygen, will be addressed. The investigation of interface/ joint mechanisms is also of great interest.

Keywords

• novel materials and structures
• extreme service environment
• computational and experimental mechanics
• additive manufacturing/construction (3D printing)
• safety and resilience
• impact and crashworthiness
• architected and bioinspired materials and structures
• composite materials for aerospace
• cementitious materials
• structures and materials for extreme environments
• advanced numerical methods
• additive manufacturing
• coastal resilience
• terrestrial extreme environments – design and construction
• extraterrestrial environmental extremes
• energy efficient structures
• flexible and architected materials
• lattice structures
• origami and kirigami
• topology

Co-Chairs: Gangbing Song, PhD, University of Houston, TX; Wei Zhang, PhD, PE, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

The technical areas of dynamics, controls, and evaluation and condition monitoring of engineering structures and systems, specially designed and built to operate in challenging environments on Earth and space, are of extreme importance. Integration of sensors into structural and material systems enables more effective and precisely tuned performance, as well as remote evaluation and control of space and terrestrial structures systems. The design and analysis of structures in challenging environments on any planetary body need special care beyond current terrestrial practice. Space environments – on planetary surfaces or in orbit – expose systems to radiation, micro/reduced gravity, vacuum, debris/meteoroid impact, and temperature extremes. Overcoming these significant challenges is imperative to the success of any structure in space and extreme and challenging environments on Earth. With the recent development in artificial intelligence (AI) and human-machine interactions, AI and machine learning-based methods have been widely applied for complex engineering systems and structures in challenging environments in terms of modeling, monitoring, and controlling. In addition, educators face challenges in using emerging technology to improve the education of the engineers of the future in the challenging future environment either in space or on the Earth.

Special Session Topics:

1. Tensegrity – Concepts and Applications in Challenging Environments
2. Structures under Extreme Environments: Theory and Applications
3. Specialized Sensors-based Structural Damage Detection and Health Monitoring
4. Advanced Concepts on Renewable and Green Energy Harvesting
5. Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Earth and Space Systems
#. General Topics: Papers related to Symposium 4 on all other topics not listed above
(Please see the keywords at the bottom of this page to decide if your paper belongs to this symposium)

 Special Session Descriptions:

1.Tensegrity – Concepts and Applications in Challenging Environments
Session Organizer(s): Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, Ph.D., University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (E-mail: landolfrb@gmail.com); Sudarshan Krishnan, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (E-mail: skrishnn@illinois.edu) 

Tensegrity systems are reticulated structures composed of tension and compression members in a stable self-equilibrium. They are materially efficient form-found systems that provide the possibility of designing strong yet lightweight structures as well as integrating sensors and actuators that enable structural or shape adjustments according to environmental or functional requirements. Tensegrity structures are thus excellent candidates for structures in challenging environments. In this session, topics such as physical or numerical form-finding methods, physical or virtual experiments of robotic systems and active structures, control algorithms and AI developments, and smart design and fabrication systems, are of special interest.

2. Structures under Extreme Environments: Theory and Applications
Session Organizer(s): Wei Zhang, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (E-mail wzhang@uconn.edu); Dong-Ho Choi, Ph.D., Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea (E-mail: samga@hanyang.ac.kr)  

In challenging natural environments on the Earth, such as coastal regions with potential strong wind and ocean waves, cold regions with extremely low temperatures and possible ice coatings, and wildfire conditions with extreme heat, etc., it is necessary to design new structures and evaluate existing structures to respond automatically and actively to these hazardous elements that could interact actively or passively with structures. This special session deals with topics related to new and advanced concepts, methods, and applications on coastal infrastructures subjected to extreme wind/wave hazards and corrosion environments, cold region infrastructures with extremely low temperatures and ice coatings, and wire-fire hazards to any types of civil infrastructures. The goal is to help improve infrastructure resilience and make the civil infrastructure to be adaptable to a changing environment. The topics for this session include, but are not limited to the following: modeling, simulation, and control of coastal and offshore infrastructures subjected to wind, wave, surge, corrosion, etc, impacts;  fluid-structure interactions; damage modeling of civil infrastructures in critical environments (corrosive, extreme heat, extreme cold, etc); and infrastructure resilience modeling and recovery after hazards; interactions of humans and extreme natural environments; applications of AI and Machine learning in the above topics.

3. Specialized Sensors-based Structural Damage Detection and Health Monitoring
Session Organizer(s): Gangbing Song, Ph.D., University of Houston Houston, TX (E-mail: GSong@central.uh.edu) 

For durability, safety, efficient operation and functioning of structures, effective health monitoring, damage detection, and vibration control measures are necessary. This is more important for structures built to operate in harsh and hazardous environments. Special sessions are proposed that focus on (1) Piezoceramic-based structural damage detection, and (2) Fiber optic sensor-based structural health monitoring.

 4. Advanced Concepts on Renewable and Green Energy Harvesting
Session Organizer(s): Siddharth S. Parida, Ph.D., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL (E-mail:  paridas@erau.edu)

To meet ever increasing demand for energy consumption worldwide in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner, various renewable energy sources have been investigated and some have already been successfully used to generate electricity. This session deals with new innovative structural systems, concepts, methodologies, and their applications for harvesting green and renewable energy from wind, ocean waves, vibrations, and other sources.

5. Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Earth and Space Systems
Session Organizer(s): Erotokritos Skordilis, Ph.D., University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (E-mail: eskordilis@bus.miami.edu); Anastasia Romanou, Ph.D., NASA GISS, NY (E-mail: anastasia.romanou@nasa.gov) 

In recent years, and especially since the end of 2022, there has been progress in unprecedented scale of AI/ML applications known as large language models. Applications such as OpenAI’s chatGPT, GPT-4, Microsoft’s Bing, and Google’s Bard apply natural language processing and language translation on very large amounts of data, resulting in impressive advances in fields like chatbots and text-to-speech. Until recently, progress in AI/ML applications for Earth and Space systems has been relatively limited, despite the vast potential for these systems to benefit from AI. Regarding Earth systems, the model complexity of climate and weather systems that require substantial computational resources, and systems of increased levels of inherent uncertainty such as earthquake prediction can be greatly benefited by AI/ML models that can efficiently analyze vast amounts of data and provide new insights. On the other hand, growing interest in space exploration and exploitation, and the recent success of space-based systems such as James Webb Telescope (deep space imaging), DART mission (defense against potentially dangerous near-Earth objects), StarLink (microsatellite constellations), as well as the first attempts for space travel commercialization, demonstrates the necessity of AI/ML applications on space navigation, guidance, autonomous decision-making on deep space missions, and telemetry data analysis. This session will explore the unique challenges and opportunities presented by Earth and Space Systems (ESS) and discuss recent breakthroughs in AI applications in these areas. We will bring together experts from various disciplines to share their insights on how AI can be leveraged to improve our understanding of these complex systems and drive innovation in fields such as climate modeling, satellite imagery analysis, space exploration, and exoplanet discovery. We hope to foster collaboration and spark new ideas that will accelerate progress in these important areas.

Keywords 

• smart and intelligent structures
• dynamics and controls
• structural vibration control via active and semi-active approaches
• innovative techniques/methodologies of design and analysis of structures
• other special topics related to dynamics, controls, intelligent/smart structures, and sensors
• shape memory alloy actuators
• modeling of intelligent structures
• nanomaterial-based and biologically inspired sensors, actuators, and structures
• structures in extreme environments on Earth, Moon, Mars, and in space
• structural health and condition monitoring
• fiber optic, piezeoelectric, and shape memory alloy-based sensors
• tracking and control of structures in challenging environments
• remote experiments
• AI applications of modeling, evaluation, and control of structures in extreme natural environments
• civil infrastructure resilience and recovery during or after extrem environmental conditions.

Co-Chairs: Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., F. ASCE, F. EMI, A.F., AIAA, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT; Melissa Sampson, Ph.D., Lockheed Martin Commercial Civil Space, Littleton, CO; Alexander M. Jablonski, Ph.D,, P.Eng, Canadian Space Agency, Ottawa, Canada; and Gerald (Jerry) B. Sanders, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

There have been increased activities and interests in space activities, especially lunar and Martian exploration by the public and private sectors alike. Many national and international agencies and space industry are currently involved in the planned lunar missions. The United States Space Policy Directive 1 directs NASA to focus on lunar exploration with a new human return to the Moon and then crewed/human missions to Mars. These efforts will involve both robotic and human missions.

NASA has released “Moon to Mars Strategy and Objectives Development- A blueprint for sustained human presence and exploration throughout the Solar System” in 2022.   Moon and Mars NASA program includes ARTEMIS missions and building of the GATEWAY.  NASA’s  2022 Architecture Concept Review details plans for early human exploration of the Moon’s South Pole. It provides more definition for plans through Artemis IV and sets the stage for the first crewed mission to Mars. NASA has also identified 13 candidate landing regions near the lunar South Pole of the Moon as it prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon under its Artemis program.  The successful launch of  Artemis I in November 2022, upcoming US robotic landings planned under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, and recent successful and attempted spacecraft landings on the moon by several other countries worldwide are opening up a new chapter in lunar exploration with plans by several space actors for humans to follow in the mid to late 2020’s.

As the world’s space community prepares to return to the Moon with humans, this time to stay, explore and then settle elsewhere in the Solar System on a long-term basis, it is imperative that we continue to support the development of qualified engineering, construction and architecture concepts and guidance for these developments. On Earth, multiple new spaceports have been constructed with modernized methods and operations, providing new insights into enhanced operational efficiencies.  With the successful mission of  Artemis I and hardware for Artemis II and III in production and assembly, the need for off-world civil engineering and construction capabilities is becoming more real This symposium deals with innovative concepts, methods, designs, research, development, and applications related to all aspects of human space exploration, architecture, engineering and construction, including structures, infrastructure, and facilities in orbit and on planetary surfaces such as the Moon, Mars, moons of Mars and asteroids.

Special Session Topics:

1. Innovative Engineering and Construction on the Moon and Mars Utilizing and Harnessing Indigenous Geo-Environmental (In-situ) Resources
 2. Environmental Requirements for Planetary Systems including Moon and Mars
 3. Design and Analysis of Habitat Structures and Facilities on the Moon and Mars
 4. Architecture on the Moon and Mars: Designing for Human Space Exploration
5. Structural morphology for space structures on the Moon, Mars and other extreme environments
6. Lunar and Martian Habitats: Design Considerations and Construction Challenges
7. Inflatable and Deployable Structures: Habitable Applications for Space and Planetary Environments
8. Engineering Concepts for Resilient Deep Space (Lunar and Martian) Habitats
9. Lunar and Martian Habitat Infrastructure Environmental Control and Life Support System Planning and Design
10.Lunar Geotechnics and Foundation Design
11. Engineering & Construction of Lunar and Martian Infrastructure Utilizing In-Situ Materials
12. Innovative Construction Techniques for Lunar and Martian Environments
13. Robotics Development for Lunar and Martian Constructions
14. 3D Printing Applications for Lunar and Martian Construction
15. Manufacturing, Development, and Modeling for ISRU-oriented Infrastructure Materials and Construction Technologies on the Moon and Mars
16. Building Information Modeling (BIM): digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of space facilities
17. Lunar Power Components, Infrastructure, and Architectures
18. Terrestrial, Lunar, and Martian Spaceports – Landing and Launching Pads and Supporting Infrastructure
19. Robotic Construction and Outfitting Advancements to Support Functional Buildings and Infrastructure in Earth, Moon and Beyond
20. Civil Engineering to Achieve NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Objectives
#. General Topics: Papers related to Symposium 5 on all other topics not listed above
(Please see the keywords at the bottom of this page to decide if your paper belongs to this symposium)

Special Session Descriptions:

 1. Innovative Engineering and Construction on the Moon and Mars Utilizing and Harnessing Indigenous Geo-Environmental (In-situ) Resources
Session Organizer(s): Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., F. ASCE, F. EMI, A.F. AIAA, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (E-mail: Ramesh.Malla@uconn.edu) and Gerald (Jerry) B. Sanders, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (E-mail: gerald.b.sanders@nasa.gov)

It has been long realized that long term sustainable human settlements on the Moon and Mars are only possible if the local geological and environmental resources can be utilized substantially for day to day operation. Several studies can be found dealing with the use of lunar and Martian regolith for various purposes, including habitat building material, protection against radiation and extreme temperatures, extracting oxygen, and mining. However, in-depth and exhaustive studies on the use of regolith for engineering and construction is still lacking. Moreover, new innovative methodologies for design, engineering and construction need to be developed that exclusively harness and utilize indigenous geological and environmental resources. For example, the extremely hot and cold environment on the lunar surface may someday pave a path for new engineering innovation and technologies. It might even be possible to tap the everlasting radiation on the lunar surface for certain engineering and construction purpose. How about the low gravity and vacuum that exist on the moon? These may be leveraged to come up with new and innovative design and construction technologies. This session presents papers on various aspects of innovative engineering, construction, development, and operations utilizing and harnessing local geo & environmental resources available on the Moon and Mars.

2. Environmental Requirements for Planetary Systems including Moon and Mars
Session Organizer(s): Alexander M. Jablonski, Ph.D., Canadian Space Agency, Ottawa, Canada (E-mail: alexanderm.jablonski@canada.ca) and Kin F. Man, Ph.D., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA (E-mail: kinfung.man@jpl.nasa.gov)

This session focusses on the impact of environmental requirements on space systems for planetary missions, including lunar and Martian missions. Both the Moon and Mars have very challenging natural environments within our solar systems. They include high vacuum, high diurnal temperature variations, ultra-cold temperatures in the permanently shadowed regions, abundance of very fine and abrasive dust, a reduced gravity field, the effects of moonquakes and Marsquakes, the danger of micrometeoroid impacts, the duration of the day, and variation of the specifics for individual celestial body. A detailed knowledge of the planetary environmental conditions is crucial for defining the technical requirements for planetary systems (including lunar and Martian systems). This session covers the technical requirements associated with each mission phase, including ground processing, storage, transportation, launch, cruise, orbit insertion and EDL (Entry, Descent and Landing), and finally surface operation on a given celestial body. This session also covers the impact of the planetary environmental conditions on ground-based qualification requirements and test methodologies to maintain reliability and ensure survivability of space hardware operating on planetary surfaces, at both assembly/subsystem and system levels.

 3. Design and Analysis of Habitat Structures and Facilities on the Moon and Mars
Session Organizer(s): Hamid Adib, Ph.D., P.E. , F. ASCE, F. SEI; Jacobs Engineering, New York, NY (E-mail: Hamid.Adib@jacobs.com); and Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., F. ASCE, F. EMI, A.F. AIAA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT ( E-mail: Ramesh.Malla@uconn.edu )

This session aims to explore novel and practical approach to design and analysis techniques for various pressurized and unpressurized structures for human habitat and utilities to be built on the lunar and Martian surfaces. We will explore short-term, medium-term, and long-term missions with specific goals.  Short-term goals include Shelters, launching pads, sortie missions, possible short surface stay (type 1 pressurized structures). Medium term goals will focus on transitional period from short term to longer term goals, including infrastructure for utilities distribution, equipment storage, power generation and distribution, launch pads facilities, etc. with an eye towards campus zoning to help with transitioning to continuous occupancy, (sometimes referred to as type 1 and 2 pressurized structures combined). Long-term goals structures are related to permanent human surface presence (sometimes referred to as type 1, 2 and 3 pressurized structures), along with additional infrastructure for supporting all required operational and habitation needs.  The topics can include, but not limited to the following type of  structures: truss/frame, monolithic, tensegrity, inflatable, and all other innovative/practical structures The design/analysis techniques should account for the extreme environments that exist on the moon and Mars, e.g., extreme temperature, lack of atmosphere, radiation, meteoroid impact, low gravity, seismic ground movement, to name a few.

 4. Architecture on the Moon and Mars: Designing for Human Space Exploration
Session Organizer(s): Olga Bannova, PhD, Lic.Eng., SICSA, University of Houston, Houston, TX (E-mail: obannova@central.uh.edu)

Responding to current plans of world space agencies to accomplish a manned mission to the Moon and Mars during next decades, this session will focus on design strategies, structural analysis and construction techniques of Moon and Mars surface architecture for human exploration and habitation. Designing a structure on an extraterrestrial surface presents several challenges: internal pressurization, reduced gravity, protection from high-velocity micrometeoroid impacts, radiation and severe Lunar/Martian temperature cycles, safety factors and reliability as well as ease of construction, which must be major components for space structures as they are for significant Earth structures. In addition, an effective space habitat or settlement design needs to comply with human factors and operational requirements. Such challenges call for creative integrated design strategies that address environmental and operational challenges and optimize architectural, structural and fabrication requirements.

 5. Structural morphology for space structures on the Moon, Mars and other extreme environments
Session Organizer(s): Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, Ph.D., University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (E-Mail: Landolfrb@miami.edu); and Ju hong Park, Ph.D., POSTECH, Pohang, Korea (E-mail: juhpark@postech.ac.kr)

Structural morphology refers to the study of form and shape in structures as well as the relations between form, forces, and material. The session will focus on the relations between form, forces, and materials in structures and systems with applications in challenging environments and space exploration. Topics such as form finding, structural design, optimization, hybrid structural systems, active/deployable/smart structures, new materials and their application for structures as well as fabrication techniques are of special interest. Due to the high cost of transporting resources off of Earth’s surface, new design, control, and fabrication strategies will have to be developed, to be able to rely on the in-situ resources of near-Earth asteroids, the Moon, and Mars to sustain human and robotic activities in space.

 6. Lunar and Martian Habitats: Design Considerations and Construction Challenges
Session Organizer(s): Sudarshan Krishnan, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, IL (E-mail: skrishnn@illinois.edu)

This session will provide the technical knowledge and guidance related to habitat planning and design in extreme environments of Moon and Mars. The talks will highlight the architectural and structural engineering challenges in the design of Lunar and Martian habitats. The papers will address design issues for zero-gravity and planetary surfaces, spatial planning, material and system selection, and structural design. Accompanying topics may include mechanical aspects related to deployment and construction methods such as 3D printing.

 7. Inflatable and Deployable Structures: Applications for Space and Planetary Environments
Session Organizer: Y. C. Toklu, Ph.D., Beykent University, Istanbul, Turkiye (E-mail: cengiztoklu@gmail.com) and  Pezhman Mardanpour, Ph.D., Florida International University, Miami, FL (E-mail: pmardanp@fiu.edu)

With manned space flight missions increasing in duration to return to the Moon, and Mars, habitable volume in spacecraft and planetary structures for performing work, living, and storage for supplies must increase as well. Inflatable and deployable structures have the potential to provide the needed habitable volumes with fewer rocket launches over traditional structures. This special session will focus on design and analysis these  soft good habitat structures and both the benefits and technical challenges they provide for manned space flight and planetary environments. This topic would include: materials, construction, deployment, testing and verification, launch packing, radiation protection, simulations, damage protection and repair, terrestrial analogues, planetary resource utilization in relation to inflatable and deployable structures.

8.  Engineering Concepts for Resilient Deep Space (Lunar and Martian) Habitats
Session Organizer(s):   Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., F. ASCE, F. EMI, A.F. AIAA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT ( E-mail: Ramesh.Malla@uconn.edu ); and Jibu Abraham, JHU – Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD (E-mail: Jibu.Abraham@jhuapl.edu)

The evolution of space exploration will eventually lead to extraterrestrial settlement. Beyond the protection of Earth’s atmosphere, future human settlements face new threats stemming from the lack of air pressure, extreme temperature fluctuations, meteorite impacts, high-energy galactic cosmic rays, and solar particle events. Countering these challenges and designing sustainable, long-term human settlements to provide livable conditions in Space require the highest applications of engineering and technology. This special session deals with innovative concepts, methods, designs, research, development, and applications related to achieving resilient Mars and lunar habitats.

 9. Lunar and Martian Habitat Infrastructure Environmental Control and Life Support System Planning and Design
Session Organizer(s): Juan H. Agui, Ph.D., NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH (E-mail:  juan.h.agui@nasa.gov) and William O’Hara, Blue Origin, Kent, WA (E-mail: wohara@blueorigin.com)

The session will present novel and practical research, development, design and analysis of environmental control, life support systems and related requirements geared toward human habitats and infrastructure on the moon, Mars and in cis-lunar space.  Presentation topics solicited for the session, include but not limited to the following:  air and water circulation system, pressure and thermal control,  heating, cooling, ventilation,  filtration, plumbing,  piping network, electric/wiring network, oxygen generation, water Processing and recovery, waste management,  lighting and power distribution, and dust and radiation mitigation,

 10. Lunar and Martian Geotechnics and Foundation Design
Session organizer(s): Pooneh Maghoul, Ph.D., M. ASCE, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal (QC), Canada (E-mail: pooneh.maghoul@polymtl.ca); and Roberto de Moraes, M. ASCE, AECOM, Oakland, CA (E-mail: roberto.demoraes@aecom.com)

The special section caters to engineers and researchers who are involved or interested in various geotechnical and foundation engineering aspects of infrastructure on the Moon and Mars.   The session will cover the fundamental principles of soil mechanics and foundation design in low-gravity conditions. The focus will be on the important considerations to be taken into account in designing foundations for different lunar infrastructures, such as launching/landing pads, roads, lunar habitats, and solar power towers. It will delve into the practical aspects of geotechnical design, which include site investigation, field testing using geophysics and geology rovers equipped with geotechnical investigation tools, slope stability, excavation, and geotechnical seismic design. Additionally, there will be case studies presented that reflect the latest advances in knowledge.

 11. Engineering & Construction of Lunar and Martian Infrastructure Utilizing In-Situ Materials
Session Organizer(s): Melodie Yashar, ICON Technology Inc. Austin, TX (E-mail: melodie@iconbuild.com ); and Evan Jensen, ICON Technology Inc., Austin, TX. (E-mail: evan@iconbuild.com)

In efforts to establish a permanent human settlement on the Moon and eventually Mars, durable, self‐maintaining, and resilient surface infrastructure is theorized to be constructed in robotic precursor missions prior to a crew’s arrival. Robotic construction will be used within planetary applications to develop a wide range of surface site infrastructure including: landing pads, rocket engine blast protection berms, roads, dust free zones, equipment shelters, and of course human habitats and radiation shelters. Multiple sheltering aspects will be needed for early settlements to reliably protect crews against radiation, micro‐meteoroids, and provide exhaust plume protection during subsequent rocket launches. In this session, unique aspects of engineering, construction techniques and strategies, design, and operations are explored relative to various surface infrastructure and construction elements anticipated within Lunar and Martian operations.

12. Innovative Construction Techniques for Lunar and Martian Environments
Session Organizer(s): Nipesh Pradhananga, Ph.D., P.E., Florida International University, Miami, FL (E-mail: npradhan@fiu.edu); and Ramiro Besada, Aff.M.ASCE,   Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, MO (E-mail: rabesada@burnsmcd.com)

“Out of the world” problems demand “out of the world” solutions. This special session deals with ground-breaking methods and innovative designs in extra-terrestrial construction. Papers are solicited on topics ranging from excavation and mining techniques; robotics/automated construction, maintenance and repair; infrastructure construction, assembly and advanced process monitoring ideas pertaining, but not limited to, human habitats, temporary structures, and infrastructure on the harsh lunar environments of low gravity, vacuum, radiation exposure, and extreme temperature. The session will encompass novel contribution to experimental, analytical, and computational techniques, including real-time automated construction operation analysis, construction simulation and informatics, data visualization and virtual reality, construction management, advancement in real-time monitoring and resource optimization, modular construction, lean construction, 3d printing and artificial intelligence in construction as well as material, sustainability and safety applicable to Lunar and Martian surfaces

 13. Robotics Development for Lunar and Martian Constructions
Session Organizer:  Krzysztof Skonieczny, Ph.D., Concordia University, Montreal, Canada (E-mail: krzysztof.skonieczny@concordia.ca) 

The recent literature review has clearly shown the great deal of focus on robotics development in variety of applications, including construction repair, and maintenance in the harsh space environments, in orbit and on the lunar and Martian surfaces. Robotics design, development or building is a not trivial, and often goes through many iterations to get it right, especially in the harsh, extreme and previously untested conditions that exist in space. Leveraging simulations should make this process easier to deal with as the simulation makes it possible to cut down the number of design, build and test iterations. Simulation can enable new applications and allow testing before building any physical model. Once design is finalized, less physical testing can be used to confirm the intended functioning of the robots. This special session deals with robotics development and application for space engineering and construction, especially on lunar and Martian environment. Papers dealing with various topics in these areas are solicited.

14. 3D Printing Applications for Lunar and Martian Construction
Session Organizer(s): Nathan Gelino, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL (E-mail: Nathan.j.Gelino@nasa.gov); and  Seung Jae Lee, Ph.D., Florida International University, Miami, FL (E-mail: sjlee@fiu.edu)

In the recent efforts to enable a long-term presence on Moon, Mars, or other planets, the research community has explored the innovative concepts using 3D printing to enable the extraterrestrial human habitat, structural facilities, life support systems, etc. The 3D printing has gained popularity due to many potential advantages, e.g., inherent effectiveness of leveraging the indigenous soil for the space radiation shielding, the minimized transportation of construction resources from Earth. Furthermore, the 3D printing began to be adopted for developing the synthetic particles to experimentally study / simulate the geotechnical behavior of extraterrestrial soils in the laboratory. This special session will provide a forum for the state of knowledge on the broad topics pertaining to the recent innovations in 3D printing applications targeted at Lunar and Martian construction.

15. Manufacturing, Development, and Modeling for ISRU-oriented Infrastructure Materials and Construction Technologies on the Moon and Mars
Session Organizer(s): Yong-Rak Kim, Ph.D., P.E., F. EMI, F.ASCE, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (E-mail: yong-rak.kim@tamu.edu);  Xijun Shi, Ph.D., P.E., Texas State University, San Marcos, TX (E-mail: xijun.shi@txstate.edu); Hyu Shin, Ph.D., Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, South Korea (E-mail: hyushin@kict.re.kr)

The world’s ambition to establish sustained space operations faces a grand challenge primarily due to the dissimilar environmental conditions and resource scarcity in comparison to Earth. This imposes severe constraints on producing viable construction materials and structural components for infrastructure such as landing/launch pads, power towers, radiation shields, roads, berms, and ultimately pressurized habitats. Densification of Lunar and Martian regolith is one of the first and core missions to achieve the goal. Considering the scarcity of resources available on the Moon and Mars, many efforts have aimed to develop ISRU (in-situ resource utilization) – oriented technologies to produce construction materials and obtain site information for supporting self-sufficient, sustainable, autonomous, and affordable Lunar and Martian infrastructure and/or human habitation structures. In particular, various recent studies have focused on manufacturing methods, physical-mechanical testing, computational modeling, 3D printing, and machine learning to develop innovative regolith solidification-construction methods that can be implemented into Lunar and Martian construction. Such a grand challenge requires team science that synergizes civil engineering, construction, materials science, physics, geology, data science, robotics, computer science, etc. This session presents papers on recent innovative manufacturing, development, and modeling updates for ISRU-oriented infrastructure materials and construction technologies on the Moon and Mars. In addition, perspectives, challenges, and future direction to the higher TRL (technology readiness level) technologies will be discussed.

16. Building Information Modeling (BIM): digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of space facilities
Session Organizer(s): Keith Churchill,  M.ASCE , Bechtel Corporation, Reston, VA (E-mail: rkchurch@bechtel.com)  and Pete Carrato, F.ASCE, Bechtel Corporation, Reston, VA (E-mail: pcarrato@bechtel.com)

BIM use refers to the goal of delivering any multi-dimensional computer model. The BIM uses for this special session include Habitat Modeling, Site Layout Planning, Construction Equipment, Indigenous feedstocks, 3D-Printer and Autonomous Feeding System (Equipment) Flow and Virtual Prototyping.

(3D BIM) Habitat Modeling – the metadata integrated model used to depict an accurate representation of physical conditions, printing environment, and assets of the facility.
(4D BIM) Construction Sequencing – the model used to graphically represent both permanent and temporary facilities on site during multiple phases of the construction process.
(4D BIM) Equipment and Material Flow – the model used to demonstrate the movements of construction methods including, but not limited to 3D-printers, material handling, and all autonomous systems on site.
(4D BIM) Virtual Mockup – the model used to design and analyze the construction of the facility components to improve their planning and constructability.

17. Lunar Power Components, Infrastructure, and Architectures
Session Organizer(s):  Melissa Sampson,  Ph.D., Lockheed Martin Commercial Civil Space, Littleton, CO (E-mail: melissa.sampson@lmco.com)

Power is essential to human and scientific exploration of the Moon. It is part of the NASA’s Moon to Mars objectives and is an exciting area of innovation and technological advancement. The session will include the planning, design, analysis, and construction of power generation, storage, and distribution infrastructure and architectures, e.g. tall lunar solar tower, cable/transmission towers, other power generation sources, and distribution utilities.

 18. Terrestrial, Lunar, and Martian Spaceports – Landing and Launching Pads and Supporting Infrastructure
Session Organizer(s): Jennifer Edmunson, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville AL (E-mail: jennifer.e.edmunson@nasa.gov) and Mike Fiske, Jacobs Space Exploration Group, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville AL (E-mail: michael.r.fiske@nasa.gov)

In recent years there has been significant activity in the construction of terrestrial spaceports to support the launch and landing of space transportation vehicles, both in the USA and worldwide. The impetus for this renaissance in spaceport construction has been the entry of new actors into the space launch and landing business. Commercial entities and government entities are introducing new transportation systems with increased life cycle efficiencies, incorporating the lessons learned from the past 60 years of spaceport operations. Reusability and reduced cost have become new drivers in the spaceport design and operations. Small launch vehicles for small satellite constellations need efficient and routine launching capabilities. The military is seeking a rapid response capability. Spaceports are also expanding beyond the Earth’s surface to the Moon and Mars, where spaceports must also be constructed to support reusability and in-situ re-fueling. Lessons learned from spaceport terrestrial construction can be applied to these new extreme environments with innovative engineering and operations. Papers are sought that will communicate the construction project sequences, experiences and lessons learned from recent spaceport construction and which will identify technology advancements achieved and also those that are likely to be required in the future. This session presents papers dealing with all engineering and technical aspects of spacecraft launching and landing pad and supporting facilities including development, planning design, analysis, construction, operations, maintenance, and lesion learned.

 19. Robotic Construction and Outfitting Advancements to Support Functional Buildings and Infrastructure in Earth, Moon and Beyond
Session Organizer(s): Naveen Kumar Muthumanickam, Ph.D., M.ASCE, National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), Golden, CO (E-Mail: naveenkumar.muthumanickam@nrel.gov)

Robotic construction techniques such as 3D Printing/additive construction of enclosures using concrete and other cementitious materials has been gaining momentum in both terrestrial and extra‐terrestrial applications. Such innovations are sought after for their speed, safety and material waste reduction benefits and have got ample research and development support from stakeholders from academia and industry alike. However, buildings and infrastructure such as pressurized habitats, unpressurized storage structures, lunar launch and landing pads, power generation towers and other infrastructures go beyond just enclosures and need to cater to a range of technical/functional requirements (optimal design performance, optimal indoor environmental quality for various use cases, etc.). This requires integration of numerous components specific to a variety of building systems such structural (rebars, trusses), mechanical (ducts and air handling equipment), electrical (power generation, storage and distribution components), plumbing (filtration devices, storage devices and distribution pipes) and other allied services. Integration of such systems is critical to enable optimal functioning of the buildings and infrastructure. Robotics for integration or outfitting of buildings and infrastructure with such complex systems is still an underexplored and nascent area of research. New innovative methods and techniques for modular design of building systems and components that can be transported as payloads from Earth, in‐space manufacturing of such building components in the long term to reduce payloads from Earth, tele‐robotically operated or autonomous robotic construction methods to assemble/integrate these components into buildings are needed. This session presents papers on advancements in robotic construction and assembly techniques for complex systems integration in terrestrial construction and its application in extra‐terrestrial construction use cases.

20. Civil Engineering to Achieve NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Objectives
Session Organizer(s):   Robert W. Moses, Ph.D., Tamer Space, LLC, Poquoson, VA (E-mail:  robert.moses@tamerspace.com); and  Robert P. Mueller, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL (E-mail:  Rob.Mueller@nasa.gov)

NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture (https://www.nasa.gov/MoonToMarsArchitecture) provides for long-term habitation by astronauts on the lunar and Martian surfaces.  These long-term stays will require use of indigenous resources and surface construction to create infrastructure that shelter the astronauts from space environments and enable transportation of logistics and crew mobility.  This session is intended to present and discuss opportunities for the civil engineering community to offer solutions and enablers for achieving NASA’s objectives for infrastructure and logistics for long-term habitation and permanent presence on the Moon and Mars.

Keywords 

• 3D Automated Additive Construction (e.g. 3-D Printing) for human habitats in space and extraplanetary surfaces, especially using local materials
• assembly integration and test requirements for Human Exploration Space Systems
• Lunar and Martian infrastructure development
• cis-lunar engineering, construction, and operation
• innovative techniques/methodologies of design and analysis of structures
• cis-lunar engineering, construction, and operation
• design, analysis, and construction of human habitats, structural facilities and bases on Moon and Mars
• design considerations and construction challenges for lunar and Martian habitats
• effects of harsh and extreme planetary environments on built systems
• robotic construction and outfitting
• inflatable and deployable structures for planetary habitable structures
• In-situ resource utilization related to surface infrastructure
• lessons learned from extreme terrestrial engineering e.g. Antarctica, Arctic, Siberia, Deserts, deep sea, off-shore, etc.
• lessons learned from recent new terrestrial spaceport construction and activation activities
• modular hard structures orbital and surface habitats
• NASA’s Lunar Gateway station and NextSTEP habitat projects
• novel space life support systems with AEC integration
• O’Neill Cylinder concepts for human habitation in space
• robotics development for lunar and Martian construction and excavations
• resilient extraterrestrial habitats
• Space environmental control and life support system
• space architecture on the Moon and Mars and in zero-G environments
• Lunar/space power, surface, architecture, distribution, power grid
• space and planetary surface human transportation systems
• technical requirements for lunar and Martian human exploration systems
• building information modeling (BIM), digital representation of physical and functional characteristic space facilities:
• terrestrial, Lunar and Martian spaceport facilities/Landing & Launching pads: requirements, design, development and construction
• virtual reality as a design tool
• construction techniques for lunar and Martian environments
• other relevant topics dealing with architecture, engineering, and construction for human space exploration