Our abstract on refractory high-entropy alloys for lunar in-situ resource utilization has been accepted at WAMS 2026 (Paper #68), the ESA/NASA Workshop on Advanced Manufacturing for Space.
The paper
The work presents a terrane-aware metallurgical framework that connects orbital geochemical data to alloy selection and additive manufacturing parameters. The core idea: instead of shipping structural metals from Earth, you design alloys around whatever feedstocks are locally available on the Moon — and those feedstocks vary dramatically depending on where you land.
Lunar geology splits into three broad terrane types, each with different elemental abundances:
- Mare basalts — Iron and titanium rich, found in the dark flat regions. Ilmenite (FeTiO₃) is the dominant mineral, making Fe-Ti-based alloys the natural starting point.
- Feldspathic highlands — Aluminium and calcium rich, covering ~80% of the far side. Anorthite (CaAl₂Si₂O₈) dominates, pointing toward Al-based structural alloys.
- KREEP terranes — Concentrated in Procellarum, enriched in potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus. These regions offer access to elements not easily sourced from the other two terrane types.
The framework maps each terrane type to candidate alloy systems, then to LPBF process windows achievable with reduced-gravity manufacturing equipment. The constraint isn't just "what can we make" but "what can we make, with this feedstock, using a printer that weighs under 200 kg."
Connection to SPARK
The refractory HEA design methodology developed under S.P.A.R.K. — CALPHAD screening, DFT validation, LPBF process calibration — transfers directly to lunar alloy design. The same computational pipeline that screens W-Mo-Ta-Nb-Cr compositions for rocket engines can screen Fe-Ti-Al compositions from regolith feedstocks. Different inputs, same tools.
The conference
WAMS brings together ESA, NASA, JAXA, and academic groups working on manufacturing technologies for space hardware. The 2026 workshop focuses on in-situ manufacturing, repair, and recycling — capabilities that become critical once you're operating beyond low Earth orbit and resupply missions take months instead of hours.