Lunar Exploration Requirements and Data Acquisition Architectures

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1 Lunar Exploration Requirements and Data Acquisition Architectures J. Plescia P. Spudis B. Bussey Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Laboratory 2005 International Lunar Conference

2 The Vision and The Architecture The Vision Use lunar exploration to extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon before the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of other destinations. Use the Moon Gain operational experience of a world 3 days away Create new spacefaring capabilities Develop systems and procedures to survive and productively work on a planetary surface Lunar resources Building & operating complex structures and machines with robots and/or humans Exploring a planet with people and robots working together Proposed Architecture Orbital Reconnaissance LRO and international missions Next Lunar Mission Lander / Rover Provide information for resource decisions Evaluate polar site for outpost Outpost Site Survey Civil engineering rover (topography, physical properties) Prepare infrastructure (landing pads, power, etc.) ISRU engineering demonstration Prospect mining site Collect ore and prepare for processing Bench-scale experiment of extraction ISRU infrastructure emplacement (as many as necessary) Water mining; earth-moving equipment feedstock processors Extraction plant

3 Resource Exploitation Decision in the Critical Path Water ice in shadowed regions of both poles Extract oxygen, metals from lunar materials for construction, propellant Recover solar-wind gases (e.g., hydrogen and other volatiles) implanted on lunar dust grains Collect solar energy with photoelectric arrays built from lunar materials and beam energy to Earth or cislunar space

4 Which Resources Are Important? Apollo 11 soil Mare Apollo 16 soil Highlands H ppm 4-40 ppm He* ppm 3-35 ppm Ar ppm ppm Xe ppm ppm C ppm ppm N ppm ppm K ppm ppm P ppm ppm S ppm ppm F ppm ppm Cl 3-40 ppm ppm * 4 He/ 3 He = ~ 2500 One cubic meter (1 m 3 ) of lunar regolith contains enough hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, potassium, and other trace elements to make lunch for two two cheese sandwiches on rye, two colas (flavored with real sugar, although there s enough Cl to sweeten it with Splenda instead), and two large plums. (credit: Larry Taylor)

5 Why A Polar Site? We will learn more new information from an investigation of a polar site than from an equatorial site. Only 1 highland site visited: Apollo 16 Polar regions have small areas in near-permanent sunlight % illumination; eclipse periods short and noncontiguous Polar regions have areas of permanent darkness (cold traps) Thermal resource for cooling, power generation Collected volatiles over geologic time (water ice) Thermal environment unknown Polar regolith (illuminated) properties and volatile content unknown High H (Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer) Enhanced retention of H in illuminated areas due to relatively low T (compared with low latitude sites) or ice in shadowed craters Polar areas are sites of scientific interest

6 Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer

7 Environments Equatorial Polar Temperature -150 C to +100 C -50 C ± 10 C Sunlight ~354 hours ~ 530 to 708 hours Darkness H content (avg.) ~354 hours ppm 0 to 148 hours (non-continuous) > 200 ppm Surface Lighting All incident angles < 1.7 Resource Potential Earth Communications Solar wind gases, bound oxygen Continuous on near side Solar wind gases, bound oxygen, polar volatiles Inconstant, but predictable (~ ½ time in Earth view)

8 Polar Site Candidates Shackleton Crater South Pole 20 km diameter Permanently shadowed interior; high radar circular polarization ratio on floor Rim spot illuminated >75% of winter day Peary Crater North Pole Peary B km dia. Constant sunlight (?)

9 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Payload Laser altimeter Detailed topography and shape (< 1 km resolution) Imager Image in a uniform format 15 m/pixel and < 1 m/pixel Collimated neutron spectrometer Spatial distribution of H at high resolution (5 km) IR bolometer Temperature permanently dark regions (areas < 1 km) UV imager Lunar atmosphere and image dark areas using Lyman-α UV Radio science

10 What immediately follows LRO? LRO will conduct improved global orbital reconnaissance. Need to understand sites that may be targets for future human missions (especially the outpost site). Better characterize areas on the surface believed to be significantly different from previously visited Apollo sites. Polar regions are unique from an exploration perspective. Then What? Need to evaluate polar resources. Is there really water ice in polar craters? If so, what is its form and distribution? Its presence or absence needs to be resolved for future planning. Focus is on data for human exploration planning not science.

11 An Implementation Lander and Rover combination Land in permanently illuminated site Demonstrate precision landing and hazard avoidance Lander Demonstrate extended lifetime operations Emplace navigational beacon Site topography / morphology Site environment; operational difficulties of polar work Volatiles of illuminated regolith Geotechnical properties of regolith Thermal environment Terminator phenomena Radiation Effects of lunar environment on biotic systems Rover Traverse to cold traps Analyze volatiles Geotechnical properties

12 Exploring for Ice Ice located in large permanently shadowed craters Shackleton 19 km complex impact crater Interior walls steep (25-35 ) loose material Rugged floor with topography Possible heterogenous ice distribution Ice not exposed at the surface Permanent shadow - low temperature (50-75K) Shackleton Requirements Mobility of tens of km 7 km laterally and 3 km vertically Payload to assess the volatiles Ability to penetrate tens of cm m Ice may be heterogeneously distributed Must survive for days or longer Earth not in view Mobility Options Penetrators Rovers Hoppers Dawes analog

13 Mobility Flyers Raytheon Penguin Delta Clipper Penetrators Japanese Lunar A Rovers CMU Nomad

14 Mobility Luna / Lunokhod Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle

15 Mobility Static point observation vs. exploration

16 Polar Lander Long-term station Payload delivery Static lander based Rover deployment Small lander evolvable to hundreds kg payload Larger lander evolvable to metric tons payload

17 Lunar Landers Luna 9, 13 Surveyor Luna 16, 20, 24 Apollo Lunar Module

18 Payload Lander Descent imager Descent lidar Mast-mounted panoramic imager Arm with various end-effectors Beacon Biology experiment package Rover Ground penetrating radar Neutron spectrometer Drill Volatile analysis Mineralogy / Chemistry (XRD /XRF) One must Touch the Ice before proceeding with ISRU planning.

19 Communications / Navigation Infrastructure Ability to provide communications and navigation for surface operations. Polar craters Farside sites

20 Site Survey Map Topography Regolith thickness Boulder distribution Physical properties Define landing / hab sites

21 Resource Extraction Demonstration Demonstrate Excavation and transport Recovery of volatiles Oxygen production Fuel production Cryogenic storage and transfer Requires advanced power, mobility, large landed payload capacity

22 International Cooperation? International Cooperation Scientific Investigations Operational Investigations Operational Investigations Specific data products Data quality Schedule critical path knowledge LRO LEND 5 km requirement / 10 km actual SNR is ~ 1/15 necessary for low concentration detection

23 Summary Series of landed mission with capability for mobility. Multiple copies may be necessary to achieve goals. Orbital infrastructure for communications. Robotic architecture would change in response to specific ESMD requirement development. Discovery class (i.e., $400M) insufficient.