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NASA NTRS2011

Software Architecture to Support the Evolution of the ISRU RESOLVE Engineering Breadboard Unit 2 (EBU2)

The In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Regolith & Environmental Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) software provides operation of the physical plant from a remote location with a high-level interface that can access and control the data from external software applications of other subsystems. This software allows autonomous control over the entire system with manual computer control of individual system/process components. It gives non-programmer operators the capability to easily modify the high-level autonomous sequencing while the software is in operation, as well as the ability to modify the low-level, file-based sequences prior to the system operation. Local automated control in a distributed system is also enabled where component control is maintained during the loss of network connectivity with the remote workstation. This innovation also minimizes network traffic. The software architecture commands and controls the latest generation of RESOLVE processes used to obtain, process, and quantify lunar regolith. The system is grouped into six sub-processes: Drill, Crush, Reactor, Lunar Water Resource Demonstration (LWRD), Regolith Volatiles Characterization (RVC) (see example), and Regolith Oxygen Extraction (ROE). Some processes are independent, some are dependent on other processes, and some are independent but run concurrently with other processes. The first goal is to analyze the volatiles emanating from lunar regolith, such as water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen, and others. This is done by heating the soil and analyzing and capturing the volatilized product. The second goal is to produce water by reducing the soil at high temperatures with hydrogen. This is done by raising the reactor temperature in the range of 800 to 900 C, causing the reaction to progress by adding hydrogen, and then capturing the water product in a desiccant bed. The software needs to run the entire unit and all sub-processes; however, throughout testing, many variables and parameters need to be changed as more is learned about the system operation. The Master Events Controller (MEC) is run on a standard laptop PC using Windows XP. This PC runs in parallel to another laptop that monitors the GC, and a third PC that monitors the drilling/ crushing operation. These three PCs interface to the process through a CompactRIO, OPC Servers, and modems.

Moss, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS2012

Doubly-Shadowed Regions in Lunar Polar Craters: Hydrogen Accumulation in the Presence of Recursive Plasma Wakes

Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) of the Moon have been identified as unique environments of extreme cold and comprise a natural cold trap for sequestering volatiles [Paige et al. 2010]. The diverse chemical composition of the LCROSS impact plume provided evidence for a volatile-rich and chemically-complex PSR environment [Cola prete et al. 2010, Schultz et al. 2010]. Additionally, the polar electrostatic environment is highly complex, with the possibility of strong, localized electric fields that divert solar wind ions directly into polar cold traps [Farrell et al. 2010, Zimmerman et al. 2011]. Thus, regional plasma physics processes couple directly with volatile sequestration. In the present work, kinetic simulations show that recursive plasma wake structure arises in the presence of step-like topographic features (Le. doubly-shadowed craters). Combining the plasma code with a numerical sputtering model demonstrates that solar wind protons can be either a hydrogen source via implantation or a volatile loss mechanism via sputtering, depending on properties of the regolith and solar wind. The present model provides a novel theoretical pathway toward understanding the lunar surface/solar wind physical and chemical interactions for complex topography near the poles.

Zimmerman, Michael I.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Nonhazardous Urine Pretreatment Method

A method combines solid phase acidification with two non-toxic biocides to prevent ammonia volatilization and microbial proliferation. The safe, non-oxidizing biocide combination consists of a quaternary amine and a food preservative. This combination has exhibited excellent stabilization of both acidified and unacidified urine. During pretreatment tests, composite urine collected from donors was challenged with a microorganism known to proliferate in urine, and then was processed using the nonhazardous urine pre-treatment method. The challenge microorganisms included Escherichia coli, a common gram-negative bacteria; Enterococcus faecalis, a ureolytic gram-positive bacteria; Candida albicans, a yeast commonly found in urine; and Aspergillus niger, a problematic mold that resists urine pre-treatment. Urine processed in this manner remained microbially stable for over 57 days. Such effective urine stabilization was achieved using non-toxic, non-oxidizing biocides at higher pH (3.6 to 5.8) than previous methods in use or projected for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). ISS urine pretreatment methods employ strong oxidants including ozone and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), a carcinogenic material, under very acidic conditions (pH = 1.8 to 2.4). The method described here offers a much more benign chemical environment than previous pretreatment methods, and will lower equivalent system mass (ESM) by reducing containment volume and mass, system complexity, and crew time needed to handle pre-treatment chemicals. The biocides, being non-oxidizing, minimize the potential for chemical reactions with urine constituents to produce volatile, airborne contaminants such as cyanogen chloride. Additionally, the biocides are active under significantly less acidic conditions than those used in the current system, thereby reducing the degree of required acidification. A simple flow-through solid phase acidification (SPA) bed is employed to overcome the natural buffering capacity of urine, and to lower the pH to levels that fix ammoniacal nitrogen in the non-volatile and highly water soluble NH4 + form. Citric acid, a highly soluble, solid tricarboxylic acid essential to cellular metabolism, and typically used as a food preservative, has also been shown to efficiently acidify urine in conjunction with non-oxidizing biocides to provide effective stabilization with respect to both microbial growth and ammonia volatilization.

Akse, James R.↗

NASA NTRS2013

RESOLVE OVEN Field Demonstration Unit for Lunar Resource Extraction

The Oxygen and Volatile Extraction Node (OVEN) is a subsystem within the Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) project. The purpose of the OVEN subsystem is to release volatiles from lunar regolith and extract oxygen by means of a hydrogen reduction reaction. The complete process includes receiving, weighing, sealing, heating, and disposing of core sample segments while transferring all gaseous contents to the Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) subsystem. This document will discuss the design and performance of the OVEN Field Demonstration Unit (FDU), which participated in the 2012 RESOLVE field demonstration.

Paz, Aaron↗

NASA NTRS2013

The Cosmic Shoreline

Volatile escape is the classic existential problem of planetary atmospheres. The problem has gained new currency now that we can study the cumulative effects of escape from extrasolar planets. Escape itself is likely to be a rapid process, relatively unlikely to be caught in the act, but the cumulative effects of escape in particular, the distinction between planets with and without atmospheres should show up in the statistics of the new planets. The new planets make a moving target. It can be difficult to keep up, and every day the paper boy brings more. Of course most of these will be giant planets loosely resembling Saturn or Neptune albeit hotter and nearer their stars, as big hot fast-orbiting exoplanets are the least exceedingly difficult to discover. But they are still planets, all in all, and although twenty years ago experts could prove on general principles that they did not exist, we have come round rather quickly, and they should be welcome now at LPSC. Here we will discuss the empirical division between planets with and without atmospheres. For most exoplanets the question of whether a planet has or has not an atmosphere is a fuzzy inference based on the planet's bulk density. A probably safe presumption is that a low density planet is one with abundant volatiles, in the general mold of Saturn or Neptune. On the other hand a high density low mass planet could be volatile-poor, in the general mold of Earth or Mercury. We will focus on planets, mostly seen in transit, for which both radius and mass are measured, as these are the planets with measured densities. More could be said: a lot of subtle recent work has been devoted to determining the composition of planets from equations of state or directly observing atmospheres in transit, but we will not go there. What interests us here is that, from the first, the transiting extrasolar planets appear to have fit into a pattern already seen in our own Solar System, as shown in Fig. 1. We first noticed this in 2004 when there were just two transiting exoplanets to consider. The trend was well-defined by late 2007. Figure 1 shows how matters stood in Dec 2012 with approx.240 exoplanets. The figure shows that the boundary between planets with and without active volatiles - the cosmic shoreline, as it were - is both well-defined and follows a power law.

Zahnle, Kevin J.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Test and Recommendation of Flight-forward Resistive Temperature Detector for Resource Prospector Mission

The Resource Prospector Mission (RPM) is an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology demonstration mission planned to launch in 2018. The mission will use the Regolith and Environment Science & Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) Payload to prospect for lunar volatiles such as water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. These compounds will validate ISRU capability. The payload, particularly the Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) subsystem, requires numerous temperature measurements to accurately control on-board heaters that keep the volatiles in the vapor phase to allow quantification and prevent the clogging of delivery lines. Previous spaceflight missions have proven that Resistive Temperature Detector (RTD) failure impedes mission success. The research resulted in a recommendation for a flight-forward RTD. The recommendation was based on accuracy, consistency, and ease of installation of RTDs procured from IST, QTI, and Honeywell.

LAVA↗

NASA NTRS2012

Test and Recommendation of Flight-Forward Resistive Temperature Detector for Resource Prospector Mission

LAVA↗

NASA NTRS2015

Transmission X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Patterns Relevant to the MSL Chemin Amorphous Component: Sulfates And Silicates

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) CheMin instrument on the Curiosity rover is a transmission X-ray diffractometer (Co-Kalpha radiation source and a approx.5deg to approx.52deg 2theta range) where the analyzed powder samples are constrained to have discrete particle diameters <150 microns by a sieve. To date, diffraction patterns have been obtained for one basaltic soil (Rocknest (RN)) and four drill fines of coherent rock (John Klein (JK), Cumberland (CB), Windjana (WJ), and Confidence Hills (CH)). The CheMin instrument has detected and quantified the abundance of both primary igneous (e.g., feldspar, olivine, and pyroxene) and secondary (e.g., Ca-sulfates, hematite, akaganeite, and Fe-saponite) minerals. The diffraction patterns of all CheMin samples are also characterized by a broad diffraction band centered near 30deg 2theta and by increasing diffraction intensity (scattering continuum) from approx.15deg to approx.5deg, the 2theta minimum. Both the broad band and the scattering continuum are attributed to the presence of an XRD amorphous component. Estimates of amorphous component abundance, based on the XRD data itself and on mass-balance calculations using APXS data crystalline component chemistry derived from XRD data, martian meteorites, and/or stoichiometry [e.g., 6-9], range from approx.20 wt.% to approx.50 wt.% of bulk sample. The APXSbased calculations show that the amorphous component is rich in volatile elements (esp. SO3) and is not simply primary basaltic glass, which was used as a surrogate to model the broad band in the RN CheMin pattern. For RN, the entire volatile inventory (except minor anhydrite) is assigned to the amorphous component because no volatile-bearing crystalline phases were reported within detection limits [2]. For JK and CB, Fesaponite, basanite, and akaganeite are volatile-bearing crystalline components. Here we report transmission XRD patterns for sulfate and silicate phases relevant to interpretation of MSL-CheMin XRD amorphous components.

Morris, R. V.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Mercury's Weather-Beaten Surface: Understanding Mercury in the Context of Lunar and Asteroidal Space Weathering Studies

Mercury's regolith, derived from the crustal bedrock, has been altered by a set of space weathering processes. Before we can interpret crustal composition, it is necessary to understand the nature of these surface alterations. The processes that space weather the surface are the same as those that form Mercury's exosphere (micrometeoroid flux and solar wind interactions) and are moderated by the local space environment and the presence of a global magnetic field. To comprehend how space weathering acts on Mercury's regolith, an understanding is needed of how contributing processes act as an interactive system. As no direct information (e.g., from returned samples) is available about how the system of space weathering affects Mercury's regolith, we use as a basis for comparison the current understanding of these same processes on lunar and asteroidal regoliths as well as laboratory simulations. These comparisons suggest that Mercury's regolith is overturned more frequently (though the characteristic surface time for a grain is unknown even relative to the lunar case), more than an order of magnitude more melt and vapor per unit time and unit area is produced by impact processes than on the Moon (creating a higher glass content via grain coatings and agglutinates), the degree of surface irradiation is comparable to or greater than that on the Moon, and photon irradiation is up to an order of magnitude greater (creating amorphous grain rims, chemically reducing the upper layers of grains to produce nanometer scale particles of metallic iron, and depleting surface grains in volatile elements and alkali metals). The processes that chemically reduce the surface and produce nanometer-scale particles on Mercury are suggested to be more effective than similar processes on the Moon. Estimated abundances of nanometer-scale particles can account for Mercury's dark surface relative to that of the Moon without requiring macroscopic grains of opaque minerals. The presence of nanometer-scale particles may also account for Mercury's relatively featureless visible-near-infrared reflectance spectra. Characteristics of material returned from asteroid 25143 Itokawa demonstrate that this nanometer-scale material need not be pure iron, raising the possibility that the nanometer-scale material on Mercury may have a composition different from iron metal [such as (Fe,Mg)S]. The expected depletion of volatiles and particularly alkali metals from solar-wind interaction processes are inconsistent with the detection of sodium, potassium, and sulfur within the regolith. One plausible explanation invokes a larger fine fraction (grain size less than 45 micron) and more radiation-damaged grains than in the lunar surface material to create a regolith that is a more efficient reservoir for these volatiles. By this view the volatile elements detected are present not only within the grain structures, but also as adsorbates within the regolith and deposits on the surfaces of the regolith grains. The comparisons with findings from the Moon and asteroids provide a basis for predicting how compositional modifications induced by space weathering have affected Mercury's surface composition.

Weathering↗

NASA NTRS2017

Low to Extremely Low Water Abundances Measured in Nominally Anhydrous Minerals in Mafic to Granitic Apollo Rock Clasts

Lunar sample-based volatile studies have focused on assessing the inventory and distribution of water in the Moon. Some have focused on the relatively young mare basalts and pyroclastic glasses, which result from partial melting of the relatively young lunar mantle. Less certain is the water inventory for the oldest materials available, which have the greater potential to record the earliest history of volatiles in the Moon (and thus provide evidence for the "wet" vs. "dry" accretion hypotheses of the Earth-Moon system. Studies of volatiles in ancient lunar rocks have largely focused on apatite. One recent FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Radiometer) study of plagioclase reported a relatively "wet" (approximately 320 parts per million) magma for primordial ferroan anorthosites (FANs). Another, a NanoSIMS study of alkali feldspar, reported a "wet" (approximately 1 weight percentage) felsic magma, but due to the differentiation processes required for silicic magmatism in the lunar crust, predicted an essentially "dry" (less than 100 parts per million) bulk Moon. Thus, despite evidence that appears to complicate the early "dry" Moon paradigm, there is no apparent unanimity among the measurements, even those on apatite. This disparity is clearly seen by the order of magnitude different water estimates for lunar "alkali-rich suite rocks" (Fig. 1). Some of the apparent differences may be explained by recent improvements in the apatite-based water estimates that better account for relative compatibilities of OH-, Cl, and F. In the present work, we seek to expand our understanding of the volatile abundances in early formed lunar magmas, their source reservoirs, and to address the potential role that felsic magmas play on the lunar hydrogen budget over time by employing NanoSIMS analysis of nominally anhydrous minerals.

Simon, J. I.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Tutorial on Atomic Oxygen Effects and Contamination

Atomic oxygen is the most predominant specie in low Earth orbit (LEO) and is contained in the upper atmosphere of many other planetary bodies. Formed by photo-dissociation of molecular oxygen, it is highly reactive and energetic enough to break chemical bonds on the surface of many materials and react with them to form either stable or volatile oxides. The extent of the damage for spacecraft depends a lot on how much atomic oxygen arrives at the surface, the energy of the atoms, and the reactivity of the material that is exposed to it. Oxide formation can result in shrinkage, cracking, or erosion which can also result in changes in optical, thermal, or mechanical properties of the materials exposed. The extent of the reaction can be affected by mechanical loading, temperature, and other environmental components such as ultraviolet radiation or charged particles. Atomic oxygen generally causes a surface reaction, but it can scatter under coatings and into crevices causing oxidation much farther into a spacecraft surface or structure than would be expected. Contamination can also affect system performance. Contamination is generally caused by arrival of volatile species that condense on spacecraft surfaces. The volatiles are typically a result of outgassing of materials that are on the spacecraft. Once the volatiles are condensed on a surface, they can then be fixed on the surface by ultraviolet radiation andor atomic oxygen reaction to form stable surface contaminants that can change optical and thermal properties of materials in power systems, thermal systems, and sensors. This tutorial discusses atomic oxygen erosion and contaminate formation, and the effect they have on typical spacecraft materials. Scattering of atomic oxygen, some effects of combined environments and examples of effects of atomic oxygen and contamination on spacecraft systems and components will also be presented.

Earth orbital environments↗

NASA NTRS2017

Connecting Projects to Complete the In Situ Resource Utilization Paradigm

Terrain Identify specifics such as slope, rockiness, traction parameters Identify what part of ISRU needs each Physical Geotechnical Hardness, density, cohesion, etc. Identify what part of ISRU needs each (e.g., excavation needs to know hardness, density; soil processing needs to know density, cohesion; etc.)Mineral Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Volatile Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Atmosphere Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Environment Identify specifics Identify what part of ISRU needs each Resource Characterization What: Develop an instrument suite to locate and evaluate the physical, mineral, and volatile resources at the lunar poles Neutron Spectrometer Near Infrared (IR) to locate subsurface hydrogen surface water Near IR for mineral identification Auger drill for sample removal down to 1 m Oven with Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer to quantify volatiles present ISRU relevance: Water volatile resource characterization and subsurface material access removal Site Evaluation Resource Mapping What: Develop and utilize new data products and tools for evaluating potential exploration sites for selection and overlay mission data to map terrain, environment, and resource information e.g., New techniques applied to generate Digital Elevation Map (DEMs) at native scale of images (1mpxl)ISRU relevance: Resource mapping and estimation with terrain and environment information is needed for extraction planning Mission Planning and Operations What: Develop and utilize tools and procedures for planning mission operations and real time changes Planning tools include detailed engineering models (e.g., power and data) of surface segment systems allows evaluation of designs ISRU relevance: Allows for iterative engineering as a function of environment and hardware performance.

Paradigm↗

NASA NTRS2020

A Mercury Lander Mission Concept Study for the Next Decadal Survey

Mariner 10 provided our first closeup reconnaissance of Mercury during its three flybys in 1974 and 1975. MESSENGER’s 2011–2015 orbital investigation enabled numerous discoveries, several of which led to substantial or complete changes in our fundamental understanding of the planet. Among these were the unanticipated, widespread presence of volatile elements (e.g., Na, K, S); a surface with extremely low Fe abundance whose darkening agent is likely C; a previously unknown landform—hollows— that may form by volatile sublimation from within rocks exposed to the harsh conditions on the surface; a history of expansive effusive and explosive volcanism; substantial radial contraction of the planet from interior cooling; offset of the dipole moment of the internal magnetic field northward from the geographic equator by ~20% of the planet’s radius; crustal magnetization, attributed at least in part to an ancient field; unexpected seasonal variability and relationships among exospheric species and processes; and the presence in permanently shadowed polar terrain of water ice and other volatile materials, likely to include complex organic compounds. Mercury’s highly chemically reduced and unexpectedly volatile-rich composition is unique among the terrestrial planets and was not predicted by earlier hypotheses for the planet’s origin. As an end-member of terrestrial planet formation, Mercury holds unique clues about the original distribution of elements in the earliest stages of the Solar System and how planets (and exoplanets) form and evolve in close proximity to their host stars. The BepiColombo mission promises to expand our knowledge of this planet and to shed light on some of the mysteries revealed by the MESSENGER mission. However, several fundamental science questions raised by MESSENGER’s pioneering exploration of Mercury can only be answered with in situ measurements from the planet’s surface.

Ernst, C. M.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

First in-situ Nitrogen Isotope Measurements in Martian Meteorites

The origin and timing of the accretion of volatile elements on the terrestrial planets remains a subject of controversy. Nitrogen and hydrogen isotopes are powerful tools to constrain the source(s) of primordial volatiles accreted by planetary bodies because their isotope ratios (15N/14N; D/H) differ significantly between different solar system reservoirs (e.g., solar, chondritic, cometary). Hf-W data of martian samples indicate that Mars accreted very rapidly in the inner solar system and reached half ofits size in 1.8 Myr [1]. Therefore, martian samples are key to understand the distribution of volatile elements in the inner solar system during the early stages of planetary formation. Since no space missions have yet returned samples from Mars, martian meteorites (Shergottites, Nakhlites, Chassignites) are unique samples to constrain the source(s) of volatiles present in the martian mantle. The goal of this study was to target pristine phases(e.g., melt inclusions, mesostasis) for in-situ measurements of their nitrogen content and isotopic ratios to access the most primitive melt of the Chassignites and Nakhlites reservoirs. Five different Nakhlites (Nakhla, NWA 998, MIL 03346, Y 000593,NWA 6148) and Chassigny were analysed [2] using a recent high-resolution analytical technique that allows constraining the nitrogen composition of both carbon-bearing and carbon-free phases in natural and synthetic samples. Nitrogen was measured in the form of 14N16O- and 15N16O- with the CAMECA 1280-HR2 at the CRPG [3]. A significant amount of nitrogen was detected in melt inclusions in Chassigny and in the mesostasis of Nakhla, Y000593, MIL 03346, and NWA 6148. Nitrogen isotope signatures of Chassigny and Nakhlites exhibit a heavy isotope enrichment compared to Earth's mantle, and are consistent with a carbonaceous chondrite-like source [4]. This suggests that Earth and Mars accreted nitrogen from different chondritic sources. Overall, our in-situ technique is a unique and powerful tool to characterize the nitrogen abundance and isotopic composition of natural samples.

C Deligny↗

NASA NTRS2022

The Abundances of F, Cl, and H2O in 4Vesta from Eucrites

The abundance and distribution of magmatic volatiles (i.e., H, C, N, F, S, and Cl) within the silicate portion of a differentiated planetary body has important consequences on its thermochemical evolution. However, the abundances of magmatic volatiles within differentiated bodies are difficult to quantify, and they are often depleted by varying degrees relative to CI chondrites. The mechanisms of depletion are not well constrained and could relate to intrinsic volatile depletion of the building blocks that formed the bodies, high temperature processes that result from accretion, post-accretion loss through parent body geological processes and large-scale impacts, and/or redistribution within a parent body through processes like core formation [1–4]. In the present study, we aim to constrain the abundances of F, Cl, and H2O in eucrites to better understand the magnitude of volatile depletion on 4Vesta. To accomplish this objective, we report electron microprobe analyses of apatite from seven unbrecciated, non-cumulate eucrites (i.e., CMS 04049,GRA 98098, LEW 88010, MAC 02522, MAC 041169,QUE 94484, and QUE 97053) and two monomict, non-cumulate eucrites (i.e., Berthoud and Stannern). In combination with previously published data on eucrite-hosted apatite, we determine Cl/F and H2O/F ratios in bulk rock eucrites through the application of apatite-based melt hygrometry and chlorometry [e.g., 5–7].Additionally, we estimate the bulk rock abundances of F in six non-cumulate eucrites (i.e., GRA 98098, MAC041169, PCA 91078, QUE 97053, Stannern, and Berthoud), which we combine with previously published bulk rock F data on non-cumulate eucrites[8] to constrain the abundances of F, Cl, and H2O in 4Vesta using appropriately paired volatile/refractory element ratios for F, followed by Cl/F and H2O/F ratios for Cl and H2O, respectively.

F M McCubbin↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Age Estimates for Permanently Shadowed Craters in the VIPER Mission Area Based On Their Topography

A primary objective of the VIPER [1] mission is to characterize the distribution and physical state of volatiles at the lunar poles, including within permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) where water ice has been inferred to be stable [e.g.. 2,3]. A mission area for VIPER has been defined that enables this scientific objective near Nobile crater (Fig. 1)[4]. This location enables a traverse that can both meet VIPER’s engineering constraints (Earth-direct communication, adequate power, etc.)as well as accomplish the planned scientific exploration. In this abstract, we describe observations of crater topography that provide insight into the age of several craters that host PSRs within the planned VIPER mission area. The role that the age of PSRs plays in controlling the presence or absence of polar volatiles is of substantial interest for discerning volatile history [e.g., 5-7]. The physical state, depth distribution, and spatial distribution of volatile deposits may also vary as a function of PSR age due to gardening and/or differing emplacement mechanisms [8]. Understanding the age of PSRs that VIPER may explore is thus a useful goal.

C I Fassett↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

VIPER: Mission Design & Development

The NASA Artemis Program plans to return humans to the Moon to stay. Extended human stays on the Moon will require substantial resources to sustain human presence over the long-term, requiring continuous supplies delivered from the Earth. However, if some of the resources were indigenously available, substantial logistical complexity and costs could be saved by “living off the land”, wherever possible. The LCROSS, LRO and other missions have confirmed the presence of resources such as volatiles in polar regions, so the next step is to understand the scientific nature and physical distribution of those candidate resources. Those local volatiles could be processed into propellants and human life-supporting needs, reducing risk of maintaining a permanent human presence on the Moon. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Resource (VIPER) is a surface mobility scientific platform, designed to spend ~100 days mapping and surveying four different Ice Stability Regions to understand the scientific nature and distribution of water and other volatiles. VIPER will also provide scientific mineralogical context of the lunar regolith, such as the presence of silicon and light metals in lunar regolith, providing a composite picture of resource availability and sustainment. This paper will discuss the latest development progress by the VIPER team, following our initial introduction to this mission at IAC2021. The VIPER team has passed both its NASA Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Critical Design Reviews (CDR), and is now looking to performing significant testing of engineering units representing the design, prior to the team turning its attention to building the flight hardware. VIPER is managed within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), utilizing the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) delivery model with partner, Astrobotic, Inc.

Daniel Andrews↗

NASA NTRS2022

In Situ Measurements of Surface Texture with Virtual Environments Support Science-Driven Human Surface Operations on the Moon and Beyond

Visualization tools enabling real-time scientific analysis are important for supporting future astronaut operations on the lunar surface. Such tools can be built into virtual environments to support scientific investigations, as well as situational awareness, real-time decision making, and efficient communication between astronauts and ground and support systems. Understanding how these tools can be optimized for science is essential for upcoming Artemis missions. In this contribution, we discuss how measurements of surface texture at multiple length scales can greatly enhance in situ science on/of the Moon, and eventually Mars, asteroids, and beyond. Roughness measurements at various wavelengths directly support objectives defined in the Artemis Science Plan, including (O1) “understanding planetary processes,” (O2) “understanding volatile cycles,” and (O3) “interpreting the impact history of the Earth-Moon system” . Key scientific analyses enabled by texture measurements at different length scales include: ● Sub-centimeter scales: Texture measurements can help constrain lava flow crystallinity, lava rheology, emplacement flow dynamics, and cooling histories (O1). Measurements of lacunarity (voids in fractal fill space) can shed light on eruptive volatile content, residence time of migrating volatiles, and near-surface volume available for micro-cold trapping of volatiles (O1, O2). ● Centimeter–meter scales: Texture measurements can be used for the differentiation of individual lava flows, the reconstruction of local stratigraphies and emplacement sequences, characterization of post-emplacement surface modification processes (O1, O3). Derived roughness (polarization) metrics can be used in the detection of water ice and characterization of ice properties (e.g., purity, grade, depth, abundance). ● Hectometer–Kilometer scales: Texture measurements can be used to differentiate major geologic surface units and surface structures (O1), constrain the presence of abundant ground ices (O2), and analyze surface modification and estimate surface age (O3). Real-time measurements of surface texture across these multiple length scales will enable efficient sample identification and scientific investigations by future astronauts. To support these investigations and the objective classification of surface texture, virtual environments employed by astronauts should be able to instantaneously convert raw data into processed data (e.g., digital terrain and elevation models) and derived metrics (e.g., RMS, std, Hurst, CPR) and perform statistical analyses (e.g., PCA, outliers, correlation matrices). Such tools are being developed and tested by the Resource Exploration and Science of our Cosmic Environment (RESOURCE) team, a node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), and are an excellent example of the powerful synergies of human and robotic ground assets critical in the return of humans to the Moon.

Ariel N. Deutsch↗