SUBSELENE: a nuclear powered melt tunneling concept for high-speed lunar subsurface transportation tunnels

High-speed lunar surface transportation between manned scientific, commercial, or logistical facilities will require subsurface tunnels because humans must be shielded from Galactic Cosmic Ray and Solar Proton Event irradiations. We present a concept called SUBSELENE in which heat from a nuclear reactor is used to melt rock and form a self-supporting, glass-lined tunnel suitable for Maglev or other high-speed transport modes. We argue that SUBSELENE is an optimal approach to forming transportation tunnels on the Moon because: (1) it uses a high-energy-density, high-efficiency, nuclear power supply; (2) it does not require water or other rare volatiles for upon system muck handling or cooling; (3) it can penetrate through a mechanically varied sequence of rock types without complicated configurational changes; (4) it forms its own support structure as it goes; and (5) it is highly amenable to unmanned, automated operation. We outline the R and D needed to develop a SUBSELENE device and give a cost estimate based on experience with small-scale, field-tested, rock-melting penetrators.