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The first unmanned rover landed on the lunar surface in November 1970. Since then, more than a dozen vehicles of this class have operated on the Moon and other celestial bodies, yet none of them has been equipped with a tracked (continuous-belt) suspension, chiefly because of its mass, which significantly increases launch cost. In parallel, scientific instrumentation continues to be miniaturised, as exemplified by the growing adoption of CubeSat-class platforms. This paper presents the prototype of the #COSMOBOSS ...

The article presents the results of a statistically robust analysis of the level of value added (VA) achieved in terms of shift utilization in an underground mine operating a longwall system, with particular emphasis on long runs. It also identifies rules, methods and tools for increasing this value, using the Lean Mining methodology in this context. The final section of the article estimates the level of value added and its potential increase using the proposed improvements in an exemplary underground hard coal m...

Drilling fluids are essential for safe and efficient oil and gas well construction, performing critical functions such as cuttings transport, pressure control, borehole stabilization, and bit lubrication. Traditional manual testing according to API standards provides only intermittent data, often leading to delayed responses and increased risks of kicks, lost circulation, stuck pipe, or formation damage – especially in complex unconventional, deepwater, and high-pressure/high-temperature wells. This paper propos...

Today, the demolition process employing blasting operations has a demanding technological application, demonstrating that the employment of the blasting method is a suitable alternative in terms of efficiency, quality, and safety. This article describes the practical way and safety conditions of realizing the demolition process of a concrete bridge built over a width river and located in the area of a water dump and a power plant. The bridge was designed as a structure that crosses the river, continued with an acc...

Anthropogenic activities involve extracting the transformation and use of natural resources. During the process of extraction of useful mineral substances on the surface or underground, particles or gases appear in the working environment resulting from the removal or natural release from the rock mass. The process of transformation of useful mineral substances is carried out on the surface in closed enclosures, and involves the use of complex technological processes. During these technological processes, gases, m...

This paper describes the controlled demolition of a reinforced concrete water tower located in an industrial area in Lugoj, Romania. Due to advanced structural degradation and high rehabilitation costs, demolition was selected as the most viable solution. The adopted method combined blasting works with conventional preparatory operations, using a controlled toppling technique in a predefined direction. A detachment wedge was created by drilling and charging 196 boreholes arranged in eight horizontal rows, initiate...

The processing chain in open-pit mines is a complex and quite often a challenging procedure. With a multistage process to obtain a finished product which can be used later in aggregates or construction industry there also a need to create a compounded processing plant with heavy duty machinery and with a labyrinth of locations. That can be confusing and frustrating at first for new employees or for trainees. Moreover addressing the statistics the mining industry in Poland has one of the highest accident rates amon...

Methane emissions are a significant component of the global greenhouse gas balance, and reducing them is one of the key elements of strategies to combat climate change. A challenge facing Polish hard coal mines is controlling the level of emissions of this greenhouse gas. This problem is described in numerous scientific publications. This article presents the application of linear programming methods as a tool to support the management of methane emissions from hard coal mines. The aim was to develop an optimisati...

Ongoing miniaturisation of scientific instrumentation, combined with the development of autonomous research platforms, increasingly favours small, remotely operated vehicles capable of carrying out extensive geophysical surveys with minimal logistical overhead. This work presents the concept and prototype of Energetic Horizon, a mobile field module dedicated to preliminary geological reconnaissance and to assessing the resource potential of a surveyed area. The proposed solution integrates two complementary measur...

Blasting operations are an essential part of underground mining activities, but the seismic waves generated during detonation may adversely affect the stability of underground mining structures such as galleries, chambers, intersections, and support systems. Repeated blasting can lead to cumulative damage, increasing the risk of degradation of both the rock mass and the installed support. This paper presents considerations regarding the assessment of the seismic effects of blasting operations on underground mining...

The extractive industry is currently undergoing a transition toward operating models with reduced environmental impact and enhanced energy efficiency. This study aims to evaluate, through empirical data, the efficiency of an excavator equipped with a hybrid swing system compared to a conventional diesel-powered unit of the same class and performance level. The methodology involved a systematic monitoring period of 65 working days. To ensure a rigorous comparison, two crawler excavators in the 36-tonne class were d...

Off-the-shelf mining and fleet management system (FMS) software solutions are often not tailored to site-specific operational requirements and therefore fail to fully address the complexities of real-world mining operations; moreover, such solutions remain limited or unavailable for battery-electric haul trucks, creating a need for the development of a new, customized application aligned with sustainability objectives. This study aims to develop a conceptual Electrical Truck Fleet Management System (ETFMS) for the...

The depletion of reserves at mature hydrocarbon fields in Kazakhstan necessitates the development of new approaches for regional petroleum prospectivity assessment. The South Torgay sedimentary basin remains one of the most promising hydrocarbon provinces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, hosting several large and medium-sized oil and gas fields. However, despite its recognized petroleum potential, significant parts of the basin remain insufficiently studied, particularly with respect to the spatial relationships bet...

The Akshabulak and Aryskum structures, located within the Aryskum depression of the South Torgay sedimentary basin, are among the most thoroughly investigated hydrocarbon-bearing areas in Kazakhstan. The discovery of several oil and gas fields in these structures was facilitated by seismic surveys conducted between 1986 and 1988. The present study aims to develop predictive exploration models based on the analysis of density heterogeneities and the distribution of horizontal lithostatic pressure components derived...

In terms of sustainability of mining, one of the decisive factors, in addition to economics, is safety. This mainly includes minimizing the effects of safety risk factors such as noise, vibration and technical seismicity, dustiness, the occurrence of harmful gases, etc. From this point of view, it is necessary to pay due attention to this area in research and try to maximize the protection of workers, but also the environment, from the effects of these risk factors resulting from the mining and subsequent mineral ...

Underground coal mining (UCM) is a key component of Bangladesh’s energy sector, particularly for electricity generation, with major reserves in Barapukuria, Phulbari, and Khalashpir. However, its sustainability is constrained by land subsidence, groundwater degradation, soil deterioration, and biodiversity loss, especially habitat fragmentation. These impacts are intensified by longwall mining practices with inadequate ground control and insufficient post-mining land rehabilitation. As a result, aligning coal mi...

One of the most complex structural transformation processes currently unfolding in Europe is the phase-out of coal mining and coal-fired power generation. This transition is embedded within the broader framework of international and European climate commitments and the ongoing energy transition, particularly under the environmental policies promoted by the European Union and the European Green Deal. The process entails profound economic, social, technical, and geopolitical implications, especially for single-indus...