LUNAR SKGs: WHAT’S REALLY NEEDED AND WHAT DO WE ALREADY KNOW?

J. Plescia

Johns Hopkins University

Applied Physics Laboratory

Laurel MD

2017 LEAG Meeting

Columbia MD

Lunar Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKG)

• Understand the lunar resource potential

• Understand the lunar environment and its effects on human life

• Understand how to work and live on the lunar surface

• Time-frame and criticality are a function of objective.

• NASA hasn’t defined where it’s going, why it’s going, how long it’s going to stay, or what it’s going to do when it gets there.

• Assessment of closure can be somewhat subjective

• Conclusions

• Revisit the SKGs.

• SKGs should identify critical knowledge gaps whose closure makes a significant difference (not just incremental advances). Traceable back to the mission.

• SKGs need to be specific – not just “measure” – how many? what precision? where?

• SKGs need to be defensible.

• Role of commercial enterprises v. NASA?

• Brad Bailey SSERVI developing digital compilation of SKGs.

Understand the lunar resource potential

• Solar illumination mapping

• Quality / quantity / distribution / form of H and other volatiles in mare and highlands regolith – Apollo heritage

• Quality / quantity / distribution / form of H and other volatiles in mare and highlands regolith – Robotic missions

• Composition / quantify / distribution of water / H species and other other volatiles associated with lunar cold traps.

• Composition / volume / distribution / form of pyroclastic / dark mantle deposits and characteristics of associated volatiles

• Lunar ISRU production – Determine likely efficiency of ISRU processes with simulants in relevant environments

• Lunar ISRU production – Measure actual efficiency of ISRU processes in lunar environment.

Water / H species and other volatiles associated with lunar cold traps

• Extent, magnitude, and age of cold traps

• Correlation of cold traps and permanent darkness

• Geotechnical characteristics of cold traps

• Physiography and accessibility of cold traps (robotic and human)

• Charging and plasma environment within and near PSRs

• Earth visibility timing and extent

• Concentration of water and other volatiles species with depth at 1-2 m scales

• Variability of water concentration on scales of 10’s meters

• Mineralogic, elemental, molecular, isotopic makeup of volatiles

• Physical nature of volatiles species (e.g., pure concentrations, intergranular, globular)

• Spatial and temporal distribution of OH and H2O at high latitude

• Detect and measure exospheric water in association with surface correlated deposits

• Monitor and model movements towards and retention in PSR

• Solar Activity

• Solar event prediction

• Radiation at the lunar surface

• Surface radiation – model primary and secondary radiation, confirm secondary models by laboratory studies

• Surface radiation – in situ measurements

• Radiation shielding – model and measure shielding properties of lunar regolith

• Radiation shielding – in situ measurement of shielding properties of regolith

• Biological impact of dust

• Biologic effects of lunar dust – Earth based reactivity testing with Apollo samples and simulant

• Biologic effects of lunar dust – in situ reactivity tests

• Maintain peak human health

Understand how to live and work on the lunar surface

Understand how to work and live on the lunar surface

• Resource Production

• Technology for excavation of lunar resources

• Technology for transporting lunar resources

• Technology for comminution of lunar resources

• Technology for beneficiating lunar resources

• Geodetic Grid and Navigation

• Lunar geodetic control

• Lunar topographic data

• Autonomous surface navigation

• Surface Trafficability

• Lunar surface trafficability – modeling

• Lunar surface trafficability – in situ measurement

• Dust and Blast Ejecta

• Lunar dust remediation

• Regolith adhesion

• Descent/ascent engine blast velocity – entrainment mechanism – modeling

• Descent/ascent engine blast velocity – entrainment mechanism – in situ observations

• Plasma Environment and Charging

• Near-surface plasma environment and nature of differential charging

• Energy Storage and Power Generation

• Energy storage non polar missions

• Energy storage polar missions

• Power generation non polar missions

• Power generation polar missions

• Lander propellant scavenging

• Radiation shielding

• Test radiation shielding technologies

• Micrometeorite Protection

• Test micrometeorite protection technologies

• Lunar Mass Concentrations and Distributions

• Gravity anomalies

• Habitat, Life Support, and Mobility

• Fixed and mobile habitat

• Mobile habitat

• Semi-closed life support

Resources - Water

• Objective

• Life support – small volumes, inefficiency may not be a big deal

• Fuel – large volumes, inefficiency may significantly impact cost-benefit

• Hydrogen is everywhere

• Oxygen is everywhere

• Water is only in some places

• Rate and volume requirements are key

• Cost effectiveness not yet demonstrated

H2O / OH Reservoirs

Water bound in minerals

Surface H2O OH Surface Frost

Hydrogen – at least some of it is H2O

H2O / OH Reservoirs

Water bound in minerals

Surface H2O OH Surface Frost

Hydrogen – at least some of it is H2O

SLS Core Stage 2,032,766 l hydrogen 741,940 l oxygen

Distribution – Function of source and local geologic history

What Do We Know?

How Do We Fill The Gap?

Research

Remote Observation

In Situ Measurements

Where? Shoemaker Example

Shoemaker Crater ~50 km diameter Permanent solar shade Partial Earth shade

Shoemaker Example

Shoemaker Example

Shoemaker Example

Shoemaker

Shoemaker

Shoemaker Example 40K

Shoemaker – Ore Definition - Verification

Determine the type, form and distribution of subsurface volatiles in a permanently shadowed crater(s). Understand the geotechnical properties of the shadowed regolith. Survey landing site. Sample subsurface materials (depths 1-2 m) Measure multiple locations Determine type of volatile (H2O, et al.) Conduct geotechnical experiments

Shoemaker – Scale Relevant Demonstration / Operations

• Operations

• Excavation

• Transport

• Beneficiation

• Extraction

• Storage

• Use

Landing / Ascent Hazard

Volatiles