Lunar Science

Robotic Lunar Ecopoiesis Test Bed: Bringing the Experimental Method to Terraforming

by Keli Rae

Our publication is in APPENDIX A:  P. J. Boston, P. Todd and K. R. McMillen. Robotic Lunar Ecopoiesis Test Bed: Bringing the
Experimental Method to Terraforming. Space Technology and Applications International Forum -
STAIF 2004, Ed. M. S. El-Genk, American Institute of Physics, Washington, DC, 2004.

The notion of ecologically terraforming another planet (aka ecopoiesis) has been discussed by a number of scholars.... more The notion of ecologically terraforming another planet (aka ecopoiesis) has been discussed by a number of scholars.
Some theoretical treatments of various aspects of ecopoiesis have appeared in the literature. However, experimental
terraforming studies have been rare to non-existent. This is not surprising because of the planetary scale and long durations
typically discussed. We describe a concept to perform basic ecopoietic experiments in a test facility constructed on the lunar
surface. Such a facility can provide long-term observation of organisms and their ecological, physiological, and evolutionary
interactions in a low gravity environment. Salient features of other extraterrestrial environments (e.g. the 0.38g Mars gravity)
can be simulated more easily in the lunar milieu than on Earth while providing much greater access for experimenters than
ecopoiesis experiments on Mars itself. Besides application of these proposed studies to possible future terraforming efforts,
basic evolutionary and ecological processes could be studied under extreme selection pressures including fractional gravity,
high radiation, and with a variety of atmospheres, soils, and other parameters. Novel, genetically engineered and selectively
bred organisms could be tested in such a facility without concern for accidental release into Earth’s environment.

Conserving space heritage: the case of Tranquillity Base

by Greg Fewer

Published in 'Journal of the British Interplanetary Society', vol. 60(1) (2007), pp. 3-8.

One of the most important and spectacular events in the history of space exploration was the first Moon Landing of... more One of the most important and spectacular events in the history of space exploration was the first Moon Landing of 1969. Safe from the ravages of erosion, agriculture, industry or the expansion of human settlement, the greatest threat to the site of this momentous event - Tranquillity Base - is likely to be from a meteor impact. However, with the advent of space tourism and commercial space travel, the site of humankind's first visit to a celestial body may come under threat of a different kind - that of souvenir hunters and miners. In this paper, the historical background to the Apollo programme is outlined and the sequence of events that made up the Apollo 11 mission, which conducted the first Moon landing, is described before concluding with a consideration of the heritage conservation issues of Tranquillity Base.

Simulating EVA operations and sampling activity in reduced gravity at the Marseilles Bay subsea analogue site

by Peter Weiss

Authors:
P. Weiss, B. Gardette, COMEX S.A., 36 Bvd des Océans, 13009 Marseille, France
B. Chirié, Écoles d’Officiers de l’Armée de l’Air, 13661 Salon, France

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) of astronauts during space missions is simulated nowadays underwater in Neutral Buoyancy... more Extravehicular Activity (EVA) of astronauts during space missions is simulated nowadays underwater in Neutral Buoyancy Facilities. Certain aspects of weightlessness can be reproduced underwater by adding buoyancy to a diver-astronaut, therefore exposing the subject to the difficulties of working without gravity. Such tests were done at COMEX’ test pool in Marseilles in the 1980ies to train for a French-Russian mission to the MIR station, for the development of the European HERMES shuttle and the COLUMBUS laboratory. However, the space agencies are currently studying missions to other destinations than the International Space Station, such as the return to the Moon, NEO or Mars. All these objects expose different gravities: Moon has one sixth of Earth’s gravity, Mars has a third of Earth’s gravity and asteroids have virtually no surface gravity; the astronaut “floats” above the ground. The preparation of such missions calls for a new design in Neutral Buoyancy simulation, not on man-made structures, but on natural terrain, underwater, to simulate EVA operations such as sampling, locomotion or even anchoring on low gravity. Underwater sites can be used not only to simulate the reduced gravity that astronauts will experience during their field trips, also human factors like stress are more realistic in such environment, than on terrestrial sites.
The Bay of Marseille hosts several underwater sites that can be used to simulate various geologic morphologies, such as sink-holes which can be used to simulate astronaut descends into craters, caves where explorations of lava tubes can be tested or monolithic rock structures that can be used to test anchoring devices (i.e. NEO). Marseilles with its aerospace and maritime/offshore heritage hosts the necessary logistics and expertise that is needed to perform such simulations underwater in a safe manner (training of astronaut-divers in local test pools, research vessels, subsea robots and submarines).
COMEX is currently preparing such mission simulations in the Marseilles Bay and the presentation will give an overview of the different underwater analogue sites that are available to the scientific community for testing purpose. The equipment used for these trips, safety procedures and scientific program will be illustrated through an example mission that is currently in the planning stage.

Exploration of lunar craters using a tracked microrover concept for the ESA Lunar Robotics Challenge

by Chris Brunskill

Christopher Brunskill, Beatrice Smith, Samian Humphrey, Michel Makhlouta, Shakeel Baig and Vaios Lappas

Journal of the British Interplanetary Society

Robotic exploration of the lunar terrain is a crucial step towards future manned missions. There is evidence to... more Robotic exploration of the lunar terrain is a crucial step towards future manned missions. There is evidence to suggest water ice ores may be found in the base of deep, polar craters as a result of the meteorite impacts which created them. These regions are in a permanent state of darkened deep-freeze due to their extreme latitudes, allowing the ice to remain intact. Lunar terrain is extremely inhospitable to all but the most robust of exploration vehicles. Surface conditions around the rim of large craters are rarely favourable for the descent and, more importantly, ascent of a ground-based vehicle.

The ESA Lunar Robotics Challenge tasked eight teams from Universities across Europe to build microrovers capable of climbing into a terrestrial analogue of such a lunar crater, search the base for small samples of ore simulants and return them to a lander site outside of the crater. The University of Surrey Space Centre team designed a tracked vehicle based on a modified Mobile Robots Pioneer 3-AT microrover. The Pioneer on-board computer and microcontroller allowed the microrover to be equipped with off-the-shelf components, including a stereo camera for navigation, wireless Ethernet communications system for teleoperation and 5 degree of freedom robotic manipulator.

The ESA lunar robotics challenge: Simulating operations at the lunar south pole

by Chris Brunskill

Felipe A. W. Belo, Andreas Birk, Christopher Brunskill, Frank Kirchner, Vaios Lappas, C. David Remy, Stefano Roccella, Claudio Rossi, Antti Tikanmäki and Gianfranco Visentin

Journal of Field Robotics

In 2008, the European Space Agency (ESA) challenged universities to design, develop, and test teleoperated robotic... more In 2008, the European Space Agency (ESA) challenged universities to design, develop, and test teleoperated robotic systems for a soil-sampling mission in a simulated lunar-crater-like environment. Eight teams participated and developed a wide range of engineering solutions that addressed the various technical and operational challenges posed by the unfavorable terrain and harsh environment. The robotic concepts developed by the teams are presented and evaluated in this paper. We highlight operational and technical issues that the teams experienced during an intensive 8-day field campaign, report on design solutions that were adopted to assist in operating a robotic system in a lunar environment, and describe the lesson learned through participation in this field-testing event.

Search for eternally sunlit areas at the lunar South Pole from recent data: new indications found

by Michiel Kruijff

This paper details the identification of the exact location of the Peaks of Eternal Light on the Lunar South Pole, in the late 90s following the Clementine mission.

IAF-98-Q.4.07
Jeroen F. de Weerd, Michiel Kruijff, Wubbo J. Ockels.

Recent lunar missions have revealed areas near the lunar South Pole that are lit for a very large fraction of time.... more Recent lunar missions have revealed areas near the lunar South Pole that are lit for a very large fraction of time. These Peaks of Eternal Light (PEL) were found to be close to permanently shaded craters containing large quantities of water ice. The combination of these features makes the lunar South Pole a primary option for an early lunar base, a benign place, where the abundance of solar energy can convert the ice into valuable fuel for the trip back to Earth or further out into the solar system. However, one encounters practical problems when planning a mission to such an oasis in the cold: the PEL is still hypothetical, its location and size are not precisely known. As a consequence, the practical feasibility of a PEL pinpoint landing is not yet quantified.
The objective of this paper is to pinpoint the Peak of Eternal Light (PEL) on the lunar South Pole and to understand its surroundings. Three techniques were developed by which conclusions can be drawn from relatively little photographic data:
1. The development of a Digital Elevation Map (DEM) from shadow simulation on wax clay, plus the S/W that can be used for assessment of lighting and communication conditions during
orbital, landing and roving activities.
2. The use of Monthly Illumination Spectra (MIS) to identify and characterise the PEL and its surroundings.
3. Landing simulation for mission engineering purpose, based on shadow and reflection simulation on a fractal enhanced DEM model.
The results of the work reported in this paper can be applied to future precursor missions to a human lunar outpost. It was performed in the framework of ESA’s LEDA and Euromoon 2000 studies.
Processing of all relevant Clementine satellite images as well as a detailed radar picture from the Arecibo telescope resulted in the identification of two 'mountain tops' that most likely habitat a 'Peak of Eternal Light'. One 'mountain top' is located at the
crossing of the western rim of crater Shackleton and a small 3 km diameter crater. The second 'mountain top' is located about 8 kilometres west of the rim of Shackleton.
Consistency is shown with the expected characteristics of a PEL. Implications for engineering are discussed.

THE PEAKS OF ETERNAL LIGHT ON THE LUNAR SOUTH POLE, How they were found and what they look like

by Michiel Kruijff

6-page summary of full IAF paper, for ESA/ESTEC.

This paper summarizes the search for the Peaks of Eternal Light (PELs) on the lunar South Pole. Already predicted in... more This paper summarizes the search for the Peaks of Eternal Light (PELs) on the lunar South Pole. Already predicted in the 19th century, the question of existence of such peaks has revived after the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions and detailed ground based radar imagery. These peaks can be considered primary targets for future robotic or manned missions. For the first time now, a detailed analysis has been made of the existence, whereabouts and characteristics of these peaks. Also
tools have been developed to analyse the surface and slopes of the polar areas at pixel-level based on orbital imagery. Mission planners of the arising multitude of (commercial) lunar or Mercury missions can use this information and these tools to derive engineering implications.

Analysis and Simulations of Low Power Plasma Blasting for processing Lunar Materials

by Zachary Burell

Civil Engineering in the Design and Construction of a Lunar Base

by Y. Cengiz TOKLU

月球的尘埃之险

by David Chen

《中美安全增刊•太空专题》(11 May 2005)

古时的水手最害怕的就是不明海域的海怪，如今的旅月宇航员也面临着一个同样的、就在他们脚下的未知危险。最近在美国加州萨尼维尔召开的会议上，科学家们讨论了月球尘埃所造成的健康及环境风险。月球尘埃产生和风化于迥异的环境，因而与落在你家咖啡桌上的灰尘... more 古时的水手最害怕的就是不明海域的海怪，如今的旅月宇航员也面临着一个同样的、就在他们脚下的未知危险。最近在美国加州萨尼维尔召开的会议上，科学家们讨论了月球尘埃所造成的健康及环境风险。月球尘埃产生和风化于迥异的环境，因而与落在你家咖啡桌上的灰尘截然不同。据美国宇航局分析，因其非同寻常的矿物成分，月球尘埃被高度研磨附着于设备并进入机械接缝。一旦吸入，月球尘埃将造成潜在的有害的生物反应。