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An experiment was designed, fabricated and tested at the NASA Lewis Research Center to investigate the concept of using the surface layer of the moon to store thermal energy. The concept includes using the energy stored within the surface as a thermal input to drive a solar dynamic power system. The solar dynamic power system would operate using the suns thermal input during the lunar day and would continue to operate during the lunar night using the thermal energy stored within the cavity. The experiment modeled in a lunar thermal energy storage concept by applying a heat flux to the surface of simulated lunar soil equivalent to what a primary and secondary solar concentrator could produce with a concentration ratio of 2000:1. The experiment was designed to determine if the surface layer of the lunar soil could be melted using the equivalent heat flux from a radiative heating element mounted above the simulated lunar soil.

Over the past 25 years Space Solar Dynamic component development has advanced to the point where it is considered a leading candidate power source technology for the evolutionary phases of the Space Station Freedom (SSF) program. Selection of SD power was based on studies and analyses which indicated significant savings in life cycle costs, launch mass and EVA requirements were possible when the system is compared to more conventional photovoltaic/battery power systems. However, like any new or untested system proposed for space applications a number of issues have been raised concerning performance of the components when integrated into a system in a vacuum environment. Issues associated with micro-gravity operation such as the behavior of the thermal energy storage materials are being addressed in other programs. A ground test of a 2 kWe solar dynamic system is being planned by the NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology to address the integration issues.