Lunar analogue facilities development at EAC: the LUNA project

1 st Space …, 2005

A novel ASI Lunar mission is here proposed by a task force of Ph.D. students. After 14 th January 2004 president G.W Bush's speech, a new input to space human exploration has been given. The Moon, thanks to nearness to Earth, is identified as an important test bed for all future human missions. The task force LUME mission has been designed to fit with Italian technological capabilities leaving it open anyway for international cooperation. Three main module are foreseen: a lunar low altitude polar orbiter, a lander near the "peak of the eternal light" and a rover. The polar orbiter is equipped with a complete suite of experiments for remote sensing observation (high resolution color camera, VIS-NIR imaging spectrometer, neutron and X spectrometers and SAR radar). This will provide a lunar surface map in high spatial resolution at different wavelengths: the orbiter payload will be used both to refine the selection of the landing site and to support the rover navigation. The lander will reach the region of "peak of the eternal light", located in the South Pole-Aitken

1st Space Exploration Conference: Continuing the Voyage of Discovery, 2005

A novel ASI Lunar mission is here proposed by a task force of Ph.D. students. After 14 th January 2004 president G.W Bush's speech, a new input to space human exploration has been given. The Moon, thanks to nearness to Earth, is identified as an important test bed for all future human missions. The task force LUME mission has been designed to fit with Italian technological capabilities leaving it open anyway for international cooperation. Three main module are foreseen: a lunar low altitude polar orbiter, a lander near the "peak of the eternal light" and a rover. The polar orbiter is equipped with a complete suite of experiments for remote sensing observation (high resolution color camera, VIS-NIR imaging spectrometer, neutron and X spectrometers and SAR radar). This will provide a lunar surface map in high spatial resolution at different wavelengths: the orbiter payload will be used both to refine the selection of the landing site and to support the rover navigation. The lander will reach the region of "peak of the eternal light", located in the South Pole-Aitken

1988

Antarctica contains areas where the envtronment and temlin are more similar to regtons on the Moon and Mars than any other place on F.artb. 1bese features offer opportunities for simulations to determine peifonnance capabilities of people and machines in harsh, isolated locales. 1be Sasakawa International Center for space Architecture (S/CTA) plans to create a facility on Antarctica for research, planning, and demonstrations in suJPorl of planetary exploration. 1be Antarctic Pfanetary Testbed (APT) will be financed and utilized by pubHc and private organizations throughout the world F.stablisbed on a continent owned by no country, it can seroe as a model for cooperation between spacefarlng nations. APT science and technology programs will expand knowledge about the nature and origin of our solar system, and will suf1X»1 preparations for human settlements beyond F.artb that ""'i)' occur within the first quarter of the next century. 1be initial APT facUity, conceived to be operational by the year 1992, will be constructed during the summer months by a crew of approximately 12. Six to eight of these people will remain through the winter. As in space, structures and equipment systems will be modular to facilitate efficient transport to the site, assembly, and evolutionary expansion. State-ofthe.arl waste recovery/recycling systems are also emphasized due to their importance in space.

Acta Astronautica, 2018

Returning to the Moon has kept gaining interest lately in the scientific community as a mandatory step for answering a cohort of key scientific questions. This paper presents a novel Lunar mission design to demonstrate enabling technologies for deep-space exploration, in accordance with the Global Exploration Roadmap and the National Research Council. This mission, named ALCIDES, takes advantage of some of the systems that are currently under development as a part of the HERACLES exploration architecture: these include the Orion module, the Space Exploration Vehicle, the Boeing Reusable Lander, the Ariane 6, the Falcon Heavy, the Space Launch System, as well as the Evolvable Deep-Space Habitat placed in EML2. A consistent part of the efforts in designing the ALCIDES mission accounts for innovative exploration scenarios: by analysing state of the art in robotics and planetary exploration, we introduce a mission architecture in which robots and humans collaborate to achieve several tasks, both autonomously and through cooperation. During this mission, high-performance mobility, extravehicular activity and habitation capabilities would be carried out and implemented. This project aims to demonstrate the human capability to live and work in the Lunar environment through the development of a long-term platform. We selected the Amundsen-Ganswindt basin as the landing site for multiple reasons: the possible presence of permanently shadowed regions, its position within the South Pole and its proximity to the Schrödinger basin. The main objectives of the ALCIDES mission are to study the Lunar cold trap volatiles, to gain understanding of the Lunar highlands geology through sampling and in-situ measurements and to study Human-Robotic interactions. In addition, factors such as psychology, legal issues and outreach regarding this mission were also considered. In particular, four traverses connecting the Amundsen crater with the Schrödinger basin were proposed, three of which to be performed by a tele-operated rover, and the remaining one to be carried out by a human crew with rover assistance. During these traverses, the rover will collect samples from several points of interest as well as perform insitu measurements with a suite of instruments on board, helping to locate a convenient place for future human habitation. The ALCIDES mission results will help the scientific community to better understand the Moon and to take advantage of its resources for future space exploration. Gaining this knowledge will allow us to move forward in the development of systems and capabilities for manned missions to Mars and beyond.

2006

Luna Gaia posits a pathway towards new technologies, philosophies, systems applications and infrastructure aimed at achieving a closed loop habitat model for human settlement on the Moon. This report makes recommendations pertaining to the systems architecture, engineering processes, and the research, development and orchestration of separate phased precursor missions which will be required to achieve this vision by the year 2030. The framework that we propose is designed to support an ideal profile of an optimum 11 (maximum 12) member human crew on the lunar surface for a period of 18 - 36 months. The Luna Gaia design solutions focus on the coupling power for all regenerative processes of a network of closed loop life support. Using proven and innovative solutions that produce relatively independent and highly reliable cycles of oxygen, water, energy, food growth and waste processing, the modular, hybrid bio- regenerative network of systems particular to the Luna Gaia design architecture is ambitious but feasible. This report also details ethical and philosophical considerations of lunar settlement and the wider implications for international law, policy and future interplanetary social governance. The authors intend to evolve the current status of thought and practice on these issues to consider new and responsible configurations of resource assets - on Earth and the Moon - and to inspire the will and confidence necessary to propel humanity, and its technology, towards the next frontier of lunar settlement. The management principles are sound, the Earth-based applications are considered and the legal frameworks have been clearly defined. Certain risks are apparent but there are significant opportunities and benefits which will occur. More importantly, the project vision is consistent with the preservation of life and responsible evolution into the solar system. We appeal to interested agencies and research organizations to support the Luna Gaia Vision and to encourage author participation in advancing these mission studies. Luna Gaia affirms our commitment to global participation in the extension of human presence on the Moon, and beyond...

2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2012

This paper describes a high fidelity mission concept systems testbed at JPL, called Lunar Surface Operations Testbed (LSOT). LSOT provides a unique infrastructure that enables mission concept studies designers to configure and demonstrate end-to-end surface operations using existing JPL mission operations and ground support tools, Lander, robotic arm, stereo cameras, flight software, and soil simulant (regolith), in a high fidelity functional testbed. This paper will describe how LSOT was used to support the MoonRise mission concept study. MoonRise: Lunar South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return Mission would place a lander in a broad basin near the moon's South Pole and return approximately two pounds of lunar materials to Earth for study. MoonRise was one of three candidate missions competing to be selected as the third mission for NASA's New Frontiers Program of Solar System Explorations. LSOT was used to demonstrate JPL's extensive experience and understanding of the MoonRise Lander capabilities, design maturity, surface operations systems engineering issues, risks and challenges.

4th Symposium on Space Educational Activities

Throughout the last decade a renewed interest for lunar space exploration has been expressed through the announcements of many ambitious missions such as Artemis. Annually the Space Station Design Workshop (SSDW) tasks students and young professionals to design a space station concept in a con-current engineering environment. In line with the elevated interest on the Moon this year's SSDW was centred around a self-sustainable lunar habitat. This paper presents the conceptual design of Team Blue at the SSDW 2021. Advanced Moon Operations and Resource Extraction (AMORE) is conceptu-alized as a public-private cooperation for the creation of a lunar platform that acts as an outpost for human exploration and robotic In-situ Resources Utilization (ISRU). AMORE’s proposed location is near the rim of Shackleton Crater at the Lunar South Pole. This location provides opportunities in science and ISRU and favourable sun coverage and thermal conditions. The terrain offers a natural shield f...

AIAA SPACE 2011 Conference & Exposition, 2011

The lunar scientific community is currently exploring and planning a new vision of scientific experimentation and exploration using the lunar surface as a platform for scientific investigations that include Earth observations, lunar science, Solar System studies, and the Universe that are uniquely enabled on the lunar surface. This lunar exploration science begins with robotic precursor missions, eventually followed by human missions to the lunar surface. The concept of a central lunar operations facility can be envisioned to support the challenge of coordinating lunar operations and science across a myriad of participating institutions. A Center for Lunar Exploration Operations (CLEO) could be implemented at a facility such as the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center where significant infrastructure is readily available. exploration of the Moon possible. The ISECG Reference Architecture is a phased approach to lunar exploration that provides continuous robotic and human exploration activity in multiple locations across the lunar surface. The phases include the following: (i) robotic precursor phase, (ii) polar exploration and system validation phase, (iii) polar relocation phase (robotic relocation from poles to lower lunar latitudes), and (iv) non-polar relocation and long duration phase (~70 days at one site). Additional information of the Reference Architecture for Human Lunar Exploration can be found at http://www.globalspaceexploration.org.

Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2013

Incorporation of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and the production of mission critical consumables for 9 propulsion, power, and life support into mission architectures can greatly reduce the mass, cost, and risk of missions 10 leading to a sustainable and affordable approach to human exploration beyond Earth. ISRU and its products can 11 also greatly affect how other exploration systems are developed, including determining which technologies are 12 important or enabling. While the concept of lunar ISRU has existed for over 40 years, the technologies and systems 13 had not progressed much past simple laboratory proof-of-concept tests. With the release of the Vision for Space 14 Exploration in 2004 with the goal of harnessing the Moon"s resources, NASA initiated the ISRU Project in the 15 Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) to develop the technologies and systems needed to meet 16 this goal. In the five years of work in the ISRU Project, significant advancements and accomplishments occurred in 17 several important areas of lunar ISRU. Also, two analog field tests held in Hawaii in 2008 and 2010 demonstrated 18 all the steps in ISRU capabilities required along with the integration of ISRU products and hardware with 19 propulsion, power, and cryogenic storage systems. This paper will review the scope of the ISRU Project in the 20 ETDP, ISRU incorporation and development strategies utilized by the ISRU Project, and ISRU development and 21 test accomplishments over the five years of funded project activity.

AIAA SPACE 2011 Conference & Exposition, 2011

The European Lunar Lander mission, targeted for launch in 2018 and a landing near the Moon's South Pole, shall demonstrate critical technologies associated with planetary landing and shall prove Europe's ability to land safely and precisely. The mission will also provide an opportunity to conduct experiments and investigations on the Lunar surface of relevance for future human exploration. The mission design avoids the use of radio-isotope devices, instead exploiting potential favourable locations near the Lunar South Pole which offer near-continuous solar illumination for several months at a time. However targeting such favourable locations imposes important challenges on the precision of the landing and on the necessary hazard avoidance capability. The mission is currently in Phase B1 which shall run up to mid 2012 and which includes both mission and system definition and design, as well as an important element of hardware breadboarding and testing. An important intermediate milestone is the Polar Landing Review in early 2011 at which the system design was reviewed and compared against the latest available surface topographic information, currently being acquired by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This paper provides an overview of the mission, its objectives, key technical challenges and the baseline configuration arising from the Polar Landing Review. It also provides a description of the ongoing and planned technology activities carried out as part of the Phase B1 and other relevant ESA activities.