Moon Olympics: Technology Readiness and Roadmap

With the recent 50th anniversary of the Apollo landing and the launch of the Artemis Program, lunar settlement and technologies for a sustainable presence on the Moon are now gaining a lot of attention in the global stage. To advance this initiative, international cooperation is extremely essential. The Olympic Games has been a long-standing beacon of peace and cooperation among nations. This paper builds on the concept of having the Olympics on the Moon as humanity's next frontier in the distant future. To realize this vision, an initial Concept of Operations (ConOps) is presented followed by key technologies necessary for the implementation of the Moon Olympics being hosted on the Moon. The following key technology areas were identified: (1) human mobility systems, (2) Lunar habitat structures, and (3) cross-cutting communication technologies. An assessment of each technology’s readiness and maturity is then conducted by determining the current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of each technology and identifying specific technologies from current and planned space missions. Subsequently, technological progress is evaluated using a certain Figure of Merit (FOM) highlighting gaps against technology capability requirements necessary for future Olympic Committees to successfully hold the Games. Finally, technology roadmap for key technologies identified was proposed considering today's progress in line with existing strategic roadmaps (e.g., The Global Exploration Roadmap) of major space players. This paper provides a brief review of development of each technology, summary of current efforts and technology readiness and proposed roadmap. Although many elements still need to be considered from a project management perspective, this paper gives unprecedented insights on the feasibility of hosting the Olympic Games on the Moon, as a succession of landmark international space cooperation projects such as the International Space Station.