Gravity Grains

MOST Production

Safe chemical thermal storage for extended cold periods.

The first major LDAU import delivery of refined Boron, Zinc, and liquid Chlorine sets into motion many processes.

Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) production, specifically the potential of azaborinine combined with zinc-based porphyrins, has the capacity to create visible-light MOST solutions nearing a 1 MJ per kilogram thermal density. This stable reserve of thermal energy, with a controlled release profile, is a compelling material for extremely cold mission profiles. This includes Earth-based missions near the poles, anywhere on our Moon, and other environments where solar energy cycles between long periods of availability and darkness. Its volume and mass are not ideal for mobile solutions, but MOST performs double duty as both passive thermal mass and activated thermal mass for strategic settlements and logistics hubs.

Project Crucible has already efficiently provided the carbon necessary for the organics, nitrogen is available from the multiple landers used to construct the LDAU, and Lunar Water is providing a steady stream of hydrogen and oxygen.

These mission-profile ingredients, through further conversion in an LDAU-hosted MOST factory, provide the building blocks for azaborinine. The solar-powered crown of the LDAU and its robust circulatory systems allow MOST to be charged, distributed, and released, supplying controlled thermal support to areas that require additional warmth without complex or dangerous infrastructure. The imported chlorine donors combined with zinc form ZnCl₂; this Lewis acid catalyst is required to efficiently release the stored thermal energy.

Lewis acids are among the most versatile classes of reagents in modern chemistry, serving as catalysts, components of material synthesis, coordination agents, and essential participants in numerous industrial processes. They should be stored long‑term in airtight, moisture‑free containers, protected from humidity and reactive vapors, to prevent hydrolysis and preserve catalytic strength. These vessel characteristics are mandatory for a structure like the LDAU. The risks present are far lower than alternative deferred-heating technologies that rely on batteries or exhausting fuels.

Achieving the technology needed for scalable MOST production has direct value for missions across Earth. The same chemistry, manufacturing steps, and thermal management strategies apply to systems for climate resiliency. Covered agriculture in the upper reaches of the northern hemisphere and the lower reaches of the southern hemisphere will be able to operate year‑round without extensive, expensive, and sometimes dangerous alternatives. The absence of strong electrical circuitry and open flame permits MOST to operate safely and nearly directly within delicate situational applications.

In space exploration, MOST thermal storage has practical application on larger space stations like the Crucible Ladder, or on other celestial bodies where thermal energy must be collected and reserved for specific cold-endurance events. On our Moon, lunar settlements must be able to endure multiple days of absence from solar energy. MOST is positioned to provide a constant, enduring, and safe utility that can champion efficiency and mission fit for fixed-location structures like the LDAU that host critical habitats for biological survival.

Origins of MOST

The concept behind Molecular Solar Thermal systems has existed for nearly a century. Early photochemical research in the twentieth century demonstrated that certain organic molecules could absorb sunlight, convert into a metastable isomer, and later release that stored energy as heat. These early systems established the basic principle that solar energy could be stored directly in chemical bonds.

Modern MOST research builds on that foundation. The work of Schatz and Wegner provides the current scientific framework for defining MOST systems, including the criteria that distinguish a true mostophore and the performance requirements for practical solar‑thermal storage. Their classification unifies the field and clarifies how systems such as azaborinine and zinc‑sensitized MOST fit into the broader scientific landscape. The LDAU implementation follows this reasoning and applies it to a lunar environment where long‑duration thermal storage is essential for survival.

It is also important to recognize the historical context of this early research. When these photochemical principles were first discovered, the possibility of spaceflight, let alone lunar habitation, and modern controlled‑environment agriculture for extreme cold environments did not yet exist. Early covered agriculture consisted mainly of simple glasshouses, cold frames, and passive solar structures that could only extend a growing period within an already viable environment. MOST chemistry originated in an era focused on laboratory photoreactions, long before the development of vertical farming, climate‑resilient food systems, or long‑duration mission planning revealed its broader relevance.

Why MOST Matters on the Moon

Thermal stability on the Moon is critical to survival. The thermal window stretches across 28 Earth days and requires a constant input of heat to prevent catastrophic freezing of the settlement. Nearly all other forms of thermal storage require extraordinary mass, which MOST also possesses, or extraordinary energy reserves, which generally leak over time.

MOST provides a compelling solution where the stored thermal energy is near lossless, can be stored for weeks, and can be released with catalyst-level control.

MOST fluids are nearly fully reusable; the metastable Dewar isomer returns to its ground state after heat release, allowing thousands of charge–discharge cycles with minimal degradation.

Water remains essential to the habitat. Its natural thermal mass properties are critical for buffering short‑interval temperature swings and stabilizing the environment. However, once that sensible heat is expended, the highly concentrated chemical energy stored in MOST provides nearly an order of magnitude more thermal capacity per metric ton. In practical terms, water serves as the first line of thermal defense, while MOST functions as a deep, catalyst‑controlled reserve that allows the settlement to endure prolonged cold periods without continuous heat‑generating industry.

MOST can be safely routed into higher‑exposure regions of the crown, where cosmic radiation and thermal cycling are more severe, because it functions as a working fluid that can accept those potential losses. In contrast, the habitat’s critical water inventory is maintained within shielded volumes and never used as a primary energy transport medium. Degradation of MOST is tolerable within design margins; degradation of water is not. This separation of roles ensures that life‑support resources remain protected while energy‑handling systems can operate in more hostile environments.

This places MOST into the most viable solution space for assuring that the entire settlement can endure the night without requiring heat-generating industry to be in constant operation, which is impractical and limited in the early decades of the LDAU expansion. MOST can also be concentrated into critical areas and safely transported. This avoids situations where electricity is routed near systems that are sensitive to electrical interference, and avoids the risk entirely of a chemical battery fire in an enclosed habitat. Heat without electricity or fire is an extremely important consideration for protecting human life on the Moon.

Importing Boron, Zinc, and Chlorine

Any material imported to the Moon must justify its mass, its sourcing, and its long‑term sustainability. Boron, zinc, and chlorine meet that standard. They are low‑mass, high‑utility elements with stable terrestrial supply chains and broad relevance across every tenant of the Gravity Grains mission. They are imported in refined chemical form rather than raw ore, which minimizes transport mass and maximizes functional value.

Boron is sourced from Earth’s borate mines in Turkey and California. Zinc is sourced from sphalerite deposits in China, Peru, Australia, the United States, and Mexico. Chlorine is produced through the chlor‑alkali process, where saltwater brine is split using electricity.

These three imports are strategic because they enable critical functions across air, water, food, energy, medicine, and materials.

Boron

Zinc

Chlorine

These elements are not unique to lunar operations. Boron, zinc, and chlorine are foundational to air handling, water treatment, agriculture, energy systems, medicine, and materials science on Earth, and their industrial roles are mature and well understood.

The LDAU does not introduce new dependencies; it extends existing ones into a lunar context where these elements continue to perform the same critical functions they serve in terrestrial infrastructure. Their stable global supply chains and refined chemical forms make them practical, low‑mass imports, and no settlement can operate without them.

Where This Leads

Thermal stability, and the three imported resources that enable MOST production, establish the foundation for the next major phase of work inside the LDAU and the long‑term progression toward a sustainable settlement. Once MOST is operating, the LDAU gains the heating resiliency needed to support biological systems, industrial processes, and human habitation throughout the lunar night.

Lunar Soil development builds on that stability. It brings together many of the Tenants of the Gravity Grains mission and directly supports the restoration and expansion of arable land on Earth. With reliable thermal control, covered agriculture can operate year‑round in regions where cold seasons traditionally limit microbial activity and crop productivity. This increases food output and improves the efficiency of covered‑environment agriculture systems.

All cold‑enduring covered‑agriculture applications on Earth can improve their performance, extend operational periods, or maintain critical ecosystem functions during maintenance cycles by incorporating MOST into their design. MOST provides a stable thermal reserve that keeps sensitive biological and environmental systems within operational parameters without relying on heavy electrical infrastructure or combustion‑based heating.

The combined effect is a unified thermal and agricultural architecture that strengthens both lunar and terrestrial systems. MOST enables long‑duration heat stability on the Moon, while the same chemistry improves year‑round agricultural resilience on Earth. The imported elements that support MOST production are already foundational to terrestrial industry, and their roles extend naturally into lunar operations. Together, these systems form a sustainable pathway toward settlements that can endure the lunar night, expand agricultural capability, and reinforce the broader Gravity Grains mission across both worlds and future explorations.

MOST References

Foundational Definitions and Framework

Schatz & Wegner (2025)

Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) Energy Storage – Definitions and Requirements Revisited. Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Establishes the terminology and scientific framework for MOST systems, including the definition of a mostophore, performance metrics, and classification across major MOST families.

Boron-Based MOST Systems (Azaborinines)

Bettinger et al. (2023)

Azaborinine Dewar Isomers for Solar Thermal Storage. Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Demonstrates that boron-containing azaborinine MOST molecules can reach extremely high gravimetric energy densities approaching theoretical limits near 1 MJ/kg.

Zinc-Based Sensitization (Visible-Light Charging)

Kerzig et al. (2021)

Visible-Light Sensitization of Norbornadiene MOST Systems. Chemical Science.

Shows how zinc-based porphyrins and related complexes extend MOST charging into the visible spectrum. Although demonstrated with NBD derivatives, the sensitization mechanism generalizes to azaborinine systems.

Device-Level MOST Engineering

Zhang et al. (2020)

Solar Thermal Fuels: Materials, Mechanisms, and Systems. Chemical Reviews.

Provides a comprehensive review of device-level MOST implementations, relevant engineering concepts, and system-level considerations for integrating MOST into industrial and architectural applications.