sifted soil as an even thickness is desirable and incorporation of large stones would not be desirable. Use of the caul should be feasible if a layer of unfused soil is left between the caul and the glass so that the caul does not stick. Alternatively some high melting point fibers might be used which would have the benefit of providing some reinforcement but would need to be imported. The basic process of focusing sunlight to melt lunar regolith in place is desirable but may not be practical without advanced mirrors and/or effective radiation shields. The heat provided must be greater than the heat lost by radiation as the soil heats up, in order to provide energy to continue heating and ultimately melt the regolith. Thus the melting rate is dependent on the difference between the heat input from the mirror and the heat lost by radiation. The heat input depends on the focusing power of the mirror and the radiation loss depends on the melting point of the lunar soil and the effectiveness of the radiation shield in reducing losses. Calculations have been done to show the effect of these parameters in producing a melting rate of 1 m2/h using an 8 m diameter mirror. Figure 7 illustrates the effect and
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