Bootstrapping A Scalable Power Infrastructure For Lunar Mining

Lunar mining requires copious power to support sustainable exploration and development of the solar system. A shift from mission-centric to infrastructure-centric architectures will be required, with a lunar energy grid being a primary goal. The geography is exceptionally suited for solar energy: vertically oriented and elevated photovoltaic arrays at highly illuminated sites generate power nearly continuously. Power generation sites may be kilometers away from ice deposits, yet wireless energy transmission with efficient high powered lasers offers ideal beam quality and range to support a variety of demands. Principles of scalability inform the architectural choices that will allow a bootstrappable power grid for the lunar poles. The first demand is for kilowatts from prospecting rovers operating in shadowed regions. Satisfying this demand is a precondition for economical mining, and operationally validates the power architecture. Megawatt scale systems can support economically useful mines, and can be linked into a wireless energy grid with strategically placed relays connecting the dark crater floors to the distant power support systems. The grid supports distributed demand across a broad service area; it reduces risk, capital and time to execution for any ISRU activity, driving the development of humanity's extraterrestrial springboard. Meeting customer demands while maintaining a path to scalability unlocks future mission possibilities and should be encouraged by government support. Terrestrial analogs of public-private partnerships for development of energy infrastructure provide historical guidance on how to proceed with lunar development.