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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Calculations of the moon's heat history at different concentrations of radioactive elements taking account of the material differentiation with melting

A mathematical procedure for analyzing the heat conductivity of the lunar surface is discussed. The solution is based on homogeneous and laminated moon models and considers the effects of radioactive elements conveyed to the lunar surface by melting. The various parameters which introduce uncertainties into the numerical analysis are identified. The application of data obtained from radio astronomy and from analyses of lunar samples returned by the Apollo flights is explained. Tables of data are included to show the types and amounts of radioactive materials which have been identified.

Arnatskaya, O. I.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Development and mechanical properties of construction materials from lunar simulant

Development of versatile engineering materials from locally available materials in space is an important step toward the establishment of outposts on the Moon and Mars. Development of the technologies for manufacture of structural and construction materials on the Moon, utilizing local lunar soil (regolith), without the use of water, is an important element for habitats and explorations in space. It is also vital that the mechanical behavior such as strength and tensile, flexural properties, fracture toughness, ductility, and deformation characteristics are defined toward establishment of the ranges of engineering applications of the materials developed. The objectives include two areas: (1) thermal 'liquefaction' of lunar simulant (at about 1100 C) with different additives (fibers, powders, etc.), and (2) development and use of a new triaxial test device in which lunar simulants are first compacted under cycles of loading, and then tested with different vacuums and initial confining or in situ stress. Details of the development of intermediate ceramic composites (ICC) and testing for their flexural and compression characteristics were described in various reports and papers. The subject of behavior of compacted simulant under vacuum was described in previous progress reports and publications; since the presently available device allows vacuum levels up to only 10(exp -4) torr, it is recommended that a vacuum pump that can allow higher levels of vacuum be utilized for further investigation.

Desai, Chandra S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Horizons and Opportunities in Lunar Sample Science

The Moon is the cornerstone of planetary science. Lunar sample studies were fundamental in developing an understanding of the early evolution and continued development of planetary bodies, and have led to major revisions in understanding of processes for the accumulation of planetesimals and the formation of planets. Studies of lunar samples have increased an understanding of impact cratering, meteoroid and micrometeoroid fluxes, the interaction of planetary surfaces with radiations and particles, and even the history of the Sun. The lunar sample research program was especially productive, but by no means have all the important answers been determined; continued study of lunar samples will further illuminate the shadows of our knowledge about the solar system. Further, the treasures returned through the Apollo program provide information that is required for a return to the Moon, beginning with new exploration (Lunar Geoscience Observer (LGO)), followed by intensive study (new sample return missions), and eventually culminating in a lunar base and lunar resource utilization. The few years during and following Apollo were a hectic time for lunar science. Since then, considerable maturation of the science and distinct changes in the mode of operation have developed. Funding (and hence the number of investigators) has naturally declined. Studies have become far more problem-oriented than descriptive. Many sample investigators have shifted their sights away from planetary evolution, for which the Moon holds considerable information, toward processes and materials in the pre-planetary solar nebula, for which the Moon has no direct evidence. Nonetheless, unique scientific opportunities are still supplied by the samples returned from the Apollo and Luna missions and by lunar meteorites. These 382 kg of samples constitute a priceless resource that still has enormous scientific potential. Continued interaction between NASA and the scientific community, especially through the advice of groups such as the Lunar and Planetary Sample Team (LAPST), is essential in maintaining the current level of excellence of the program. LAPST has reviewed its role, the role of the sample research community, and the perceived role of future researchers over the next decade in ensuring the effective use of lunar sample studies in space exploration and exploitation. The review encompasses: (I) lunar sample science; (2) lunar materials applications; (3) lunar sample studies and their relation to future space missions; and (4) lunar sample curation. Plans in all four areas are summarized in this document.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1963

INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE MOON

Lunar chemical composition, hydrostatic equilibrium, thermal history and material evaporation are considered in a study of the internal structure of the moon

GEOASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Role of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing in Future NASA Exploration Missions

Future NASA missions to the Moon and Mars will require significant advances in materials and manufacturing technologies. These missions will likely be constrained in mass and volume. Lightweight, high strength materials will be required to reduce the mass of launch vehicles and spacecraft in order to maximize the amount of supplies and equipment that can be transported to the surface of the planet. Additive manufacturing and advanced in-space assembly methods will be needed to fabricate spare parts and build habitats for the astronauts. Methods to convert resources on the planet and recycle waste into materials, parts, and fuel will also be required. This presentation will discuss some of these needs, potential solutions currently being explored, and research opportunities for students, faculty, and researchers from industry and government to help address these needs.

chemistry↗
NASA NTRS2006

Electrostatic Beneficiation of Lunar Simulant

Electrostatic beneficiation of lunar regolith is a method allowing refinement of specific minerals in the material for processing on the moon. The use of tribocharging the regolith prior to separation was investigated on the lunar simulant MLS-I by passing the dust through static mixers constructed from different materials; aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The amount of charge acquired by the simulant was dependent upon the difference in the work function of the dust and the charging material. XPS and SEM were used to characterize the simulant after it was sieved into five size fractions (> 100 pm, 75-100 pm, 50- 75 pm, 50-25 pm, and < 25 pm), where very little difference in surface composition was observed between the sizes. Samples of the smallest (< 25 pm) and largest (> 100 pm) size fractions were beneficiated through a charge separator using the aluminum (charged the simulant negatively) and PTFE (charged positively) mixers. The mass fractions of the separated simulant revealed that for the larger particle size, significant unipolar charging was observed for both mixers, whereas for the smaller particle sizes, more bipolar charging was observed, probably due to the finer simulant adhering to the inside of the mixers shielding the dust from the charging material. Subsequent XPS analysis of the beneficiated fractions showed the larger particle size fraction having some species differentiation, but very little difference for the smaller.size. Although MLS-1 was made to have similar chemistry to actual lunar dust, its mineralogy is quite different. On-going experiments are using NASA JSC-1 lunar simulant. A vacuum chamber has been constructed, and future experiments are planned in a simulated lunar environment.

Trigwell, Steve↗
NASA NTRS2004

Low Abundances of Highly Siderophile Elements in the Lunar Mantle: Evidence for Prolonged Late Accretion

The highly siderophile elements (HSE: including Re, Au, Ir, Os, Ru, Pt, Pd, Rh) are strongly partitioned into metal relative to silicates. In the terrestrial planets these elements are concentrated in metallic cores. Earth s mantle has sufficiently high abundances of the HSE (~0.008 times CI abundances) that it has been hypothesized approximately 0.1-0.5% of the mass of the Earth was added following the last major interaction between the core and mantle [e.g. 1]. The additional material added to the Earth and Moon has been termed a late veneer , and the process has often been termed late accretion [2]. The timing of the dominant late accretionary period of the Earth and Moon is still poorly known. The abundances of HSE in the lunar mantle could provide important constraints on when the late veneer was added. The material that ultimately became the silicate portion of the Moon was likely stripped of most of its HSE prior to and during coalescence of the Moon. Consequently the initial lunar mantle likely had very low concentrations of the HSE. Unlike Earth, the generation of permanent lunar crust by ~4.4 Ga prevented subsequent additions of HSE to the lunar mantle via continued accretion. Thus, if a substantial portion of the late veneer was added after 4.4 Ga, the lunar mantle should have retained very low HSE concentrations. Conversely, if the late veneer was mostly added prior to 4.4 Ga, HSE abundances in the lunar mantle may be roughly similar to abundances in the terrestrial mantle.

Walker, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Vitrification darkening of rock powders - Implications for optical properties of the lunar surface

Laboratory experiments show that albedoes as low as those on the moon can be produced by vacuum vitrification and associated chemical fractionation of ordinary terrestrial basaltic material. Vitrification is established as an unequivocal process that can account for the low albedo and apparent local darkening with age of the lunar surface. The spectral reflectance curves of glass powders are significantly different than those of the parent rock mineralogy; thus, the presence of ubiquitous glass in lunar surface material complicates compositional determinations by interpretation of spectral reflectance curves. Vitrification of rocks on the moon may highly modify the chemical composition of the resulting glass; thus, glass fragments found in lunar fines cannot be assumed to represent bulk parent rock material. Progressive impact vitrification of lunar surface material throughout the moon's history may have led to a fine-grain, opaque, refractory-rich material we call 'ultimate glass.' This unidentified and, at this point, hypothetical component may exist in dark regolith material; if found, it may be a useful indicator of regolith maturity.

Nash, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Petrologic constraints on the origin of the Moon: Evidence from Apollo 14

The Fra Mauro breccias at Apollo 14 contain distinctive suites of mare basalts and highland crustal rocks that contrast significantly with equivalent rocks from other Apollo sites. These contrasts imply lateral heterogeneity of the lunar crust and mantle on a regional scale. This heterogeneity may date back to the earliest stages of lunar accretion and differentiation. Current theories requiring a Moon-wide crust of Ferroan Anorthosite are based largely on samples from Apollo 16, where all but a few samples represent the FAN suite. However, at the nearside sites, FAN is either scarce (A-15) or virtually absent (A-12, A-14, A-17). It is suggested that the compositional variations could be accounted for by the acceleration of a large mass of material (e.g., 0.1 to 0.2 moon masses) late in the crystallization history of the magma ocean. Besides adding fresh, primordial material, this would remelt a large pocket of crust and mantle, thereby allowing a second distillation to occur in the resulting magma sea.

Shervais, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Semiconductors: In Situ Processing of Photovoltaic Devices

Current proposals for developing an extended human presence on the Moon and Mars increasingly consider the processing of nonterrestrial materials essential for keeping the Earth launch burden reasonable. Utilization of in situ resources for construction of lunar and Mars bases will initially require assessment of resource availability followed by the development of economically acceptable and technically feasible extraction processes. In regard to materials processing and fabrication, the lower gravity level on the Moon (0.125 g) and Mars (0.367 g) will dramatically change the presently accepted hierarchy of materials in terms of specific properties, a factor that must be understood and exploited. Furthermore, significant changes are expected in the behavior of liquid materials during processing. In casting, for example, mold filling and associated solidification processes have to be reevaluated. Finally, microstructural development, and therefore material properties, presently being documented through ongoing research in microgravity science and applications, need to be understood and scaled to the reduced gravity environments.

Curreri, Peter A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

In-Situ Production of Solar Power Systems for Exploration

Current proposals for developing an extended human presence, beyond space stations, on the Moon and Mars increasingly consider the processing of non-terrestrial materials essential for keeping the Earth launch burden reasonable. Utilization of in-situ resources for construction of lunar and Mars bases will initially require assessment of resource availability followed by the development of economically acceptable and technically feasible extractive processes. In regard to materials processing and fabrication the lower gravity level on the Moon (0.125 g) and Mars (0.367 g) will dramatically change the presently accepted hierarchy of materials in terms of specific properties, a factor which must be understood and exploited. Furthermore, significant changes are expected in the behavior of liquid materials during processing. In casting, for example, mold filling and associated solidification processes have to be reevaluated. Finally microstructural development and therefore material properties, presently being documented through on-going research in microgravity science and applications, needs to be understood and scaled to the reduced gravity environments. One of the most important elements of a human planetary base is power production. Lunar samples and geophysical measurements returned by the Apollo missions provide detailed data on the composition and physical characteristics of the lunar materials and environment. Based on this knowledge and extrapolations of terrestrial industrial experience it is clear that several types of solar-to-electric converters can be manufactured on the Moon. It is conceivable that well over 90% of a solar-to- electric power system could be made from lunar materials. Production and utilization of photovoltaic devices for solar energy production on Earth is primarily driven by the market economy. On Earth a production plant for photovoltaic devices is intimately linked to the planets massive industrial base. A selection of off the shelf refined materials are available as well as cheap fast transportation on demand. The processes takes place (except for the few seconds reprieve in shot towers etc.) under one gravity, with solar radiation significantly modulated by weather, and under conditions where one atmosphere is free and high vacuum is cumbersome and expensive. Off Earth, on lunar or Mars bases, the cost of photovoltaic power is driven by transport costs - Earth launch, deep space transport, landing on the planetary surface. Thus there is a premium for processes that are materials self-sufficient or for closed loop in-situ processes. The lack of differentiated ores on the Moon, and lack of explored minerals on Mars and interplanetary space give a premium to universal/non-ore-specific mineral extractive processes. Initially a semiconductor/photovoltaic production facility will build on no conveniently located industrial base, further increasing the premium on closed loop self sufficient processes.

Curreri, Peter A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission: A Robotic Boulder Capture Option for Science, Human Exploration, Resource Utilization, and Planetary Defense

NASA is examining two options for the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), which will return asteroid material to a Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (LDRO) using a robotic solar electric propulsion spacecraft, called the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle (ARV). Once the ARV places the asteroid material into the LDRO, a piloted mission will rendezvous and dock with the ARV. After docking, astronauts will conduct two extravehicular activities (EVAs) to inspect and sample the asteroid material before returning to Earth. One option involves capturing an entire small (~4 - 10 m diameter) near-Earth asteroid (NEA) inside a large inflatable bag. However, NASA is also examining another option that entails retrieving a boulder (~1 - 5 m) via robotic manipulators from the surface of a larger (~100+ m) pre-characterized NEA. The Robotic Boulder Capture (RBC) option can leverage robotic mission data to help ensure success by targeting previously (or soon to be) well- characterized NEAs. For example, the data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa mission has been utilized to develop detailed mission designs that assess options and risks associated with proximity and surface operations. Hayabusa's target NEA, Itokawa, has been identified as a valid target and is known to possess hundreds of appropriately sized boulders on its surface. Further robotic characterization of additional NEAs (e.g., Bennu and 1999 JU3) by NASA's OSIRIS REx and JAXA's Hayabusa 2 missions is planned to begin in 2018. This ARM option reduces mission risk and provides increased benefits for science, human exploration, resource utilization, and planetary defense. Science: The RBC option is an extremely large sample-return mission with the prospect of bringing back many tons of well-characterized asteroid material to the Earth-Moon system. The candidate boulder from the target NEA can be selected based on inputs from the world-wide science community, ensuring that the most scientifically interesting boulder be returned for subsequent sampling. In addition, the material surrounding the boulder can be collected from the surface, thus providing geological contextual information and additional samples of NEA regolith. The robotic manipulators used for capturing the boulder will ensure some of the surface remains undisturbed and that the boulder will retain its structural integrity, which will preserve the context of any samples collected by the astronauts and ensure a high level of science return. Human Exploration: Due to the coherent nature of the boulder that will be collected, entire encapsulation of the asteroid material is not required. This facilitates exploration and sample collection of the boulder by astronauts in a variety of ways. The total time for EVA during the crew portion of the mission is very limited. Current estimates are that each of the two EVAs will only last four hours. The RBC option will allow crew members to have good situational awareness of the work site and quickly identify sample sites of interest. In addition, the samples to be collected can be readily accessed without having to deal with removal of an encapsulation system, which adds extra complexity and risk for the astronauts during EVA. Resource Utilization: One of the most crucial aspects for resource utilization is the identification and collection of appropriate materials (e.g., volatiles, organics, metals, etc.) that contain components of interest. Prior characterization of NEAs is required in order to increase the likelihood that appropriate materials will be returned. Ground-based observations of small (<10 m) NEAs are challenging, but characterization efforts of larger targets have demonstrated that NEAs with volatiles and organics have been identified. Two potential targets for the RBC option (Bennu and 1999 JU3) have been previously identified as potentially rich in resources, and both are already targets of currently planned robotic missions that will characterize their physical properties in great detail. Planetary Defense: The RBC option involves interaction with a well- characterized potentially hazardoussized NEA that would enable NASA to conduct one or more planetary defense demonstrations. The primary method would use the collected boulder to augment the mass of the ARV and perform an Enhanced Gravity Tractor (EGT) demonstration on the NEA. Additionally, other approaches could be demonstrated during the mission, such as Ion Beam Deflection (IBD) and/or observation of a Kinetic Impactor (KI). The relative effectiveness of a slow push-pull method such as the EGT or IBD could be directly compared and contrasted with the results of the more energetic KI method on the target NEA. Conclusions: This boulder option for NASA's ARM can leverage knowledge of previously characterized NEAs from prior robotic missions, which provides more certainty of the target NEA's physical characteristics and reduces mission risk. This increases the return on investment for NASA's future activities with respect to human exploration, resource utilization, and planetary defense.

Abell, P.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Material Inspectability Assessment Related to Lunar Construction Technology Development

For the building of lunar structures on the Moon using lunar regolith-based construction materials, ensuring their structural integrity and employing methods optimal for such tasks is crucial. In this technical memorandum (TM) the detectability of simulated void defects in a cementitious-based lunar construction material is compared between different nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods, especially methods which have potential to be developed into space qualified instruments. Primarily, simulated voids, introduced during fabrication as foam spheres, were used for this evaluation. Furthermore, smaller, unintended void defects were used to assess the detectability. The results highlights trade-offs between the NDE methods in terms of detection limit, correct size indication, penetration depth, and potential for reduction in size, weight, and power (SWaP).

Nondestructive Evaluation↗
NASA NTRS1986

Origin of the earth's moon - Constraints from alkali volatile trace elements

Although the moon is depleted in volatile elements compared to the earth, these depletions are not in accord with simple volatility. For example, the Cs/Rb ratios of the earth and moon inferred from basalt are approximately one seventh and one half of the CI ratio, respectively. Volatility considerations alone predict that the lunar Cs/Rb ratio should be equal to or lower than the terrestrial ratio if the moon was derived entirely from earth mantle material. Thus hypotheses such as rotational fission which invoke derivation of lunar material entirely from the earth's mantle may be excluded. The collisional ejection hypothesis of lunar origin requires at least 18 percent of lunar material to be derived from a projectile with dehydrated CI composition to match the lunar Cs/Rb ratio, and 25-50 percent to match both the lunar Cs/Rb ratio and absolute concentrations of Cs and Rb. It remains to be demonstrated that this relatively large contribution of projectile material is consistent with other elemental abundances and element ratios in the moon.

Kreutzberger, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Development and mechanical properties of structural materials from lunar simulant

Development of versatile engineering materials from locally available materials in space is an important step toward establishment of outposts such as on the moon and Mars. Here development of the technologies for manufacture of structural and construction materials on the moon, utilizing local lunar soil (regolith), without the use of water, is an important element for habitats and explorations in space. It is also vital that the mechanical behavior such as strength and flexural properties, fracture toughness, ductility, and deformation characteristics are defined toward establishment of the ranges of engineering applications of the materials developed. The objectives include two areas: (1) thermal liquefaction of lunar simulant (at about 1100 C) with different additives (fibers, powders, etc.); and (2) development and use of a traxial test device in which lunar simulants are first compacted under cycles of loading, and then tested with different vacuums and initial confining or insitu stress. The second area was described in previous progress reports and publications; since the presently available device allows vacuum levels up to only 10(exp -4) torr, it is recommended that a vacuum pump that can allow higher levels of vacuum is acquired.

Desai, Chandra S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Three-Dimensional (3D) Additive Construction: Printing with Regolith

Three dimensional (3D) printing is a new and booming topic in many realms of research and engineering technology. When it comes to space science and aerospace engineering, it can be useful in numerous ways. As humans travel deeper into space and farther from Earth, sending large quantities of needed supplies from Earth for a mission becomes astronomically expensive and less plausible. In order to reach further to new places, In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), a project that pushes for technologies to use materials already present in the destination's environment, is necessary. By using materials already available in space such as regolith from the Moon, Mars, or an asteroid's surface, fewer materials need to be brought into space on a launched vehicle. This allows a vehicle to be filled with more necessary supplies for a deep space mission that may not be found in space, like food and fuel. This project's main objective was to develop a 3D printer that uses regolith to "print" large structures, such as a dome, to be used as a heat shield upon a vehicle's reentry into the atmosphere or even a habitat. 3D printing is a growing technology that uses many different methods to mix, heat, and mold a material into a specific shape. In order to heat the regolith enough to stick together into a solid shape, it must be sintered at each layer of material that is laid. Sintering is a process that heats and compresses a powdered material until it fuses into a solid, which requires a lot of energy input. As an alternative, a polymer can be mixed with the regolith before or as it is sent to the 3D printer head to be placed in the specific shape. The addition of the polymer, which melts and binds at much lower temperatures than sintering temperatures, greatly decreases the required heating temperature and energy input. The main task of the project was to identify a functional material for the printer. The first step was to find a miscible. polymer/solvent solution. This solution was added to the regolith and the solvent was evaporated essentially leaving polymer-coated regolith particles. This material would be sent through the printer head and heated layer by layer to melt the polymer and bind the regolith. This method was one of many in a large goal to utilize materials in space with a custom-made 3D printer that builds dome-shaped habitats and other essential equipment for future deep space missions.

Tsoras, Alexandra↗
NASA NTRS1977

Geochemical zoning and early differentiation in the moon

The volatile elements (e.g., Rb, Pb, Tl, Bi, Cs) seem to have been depleted at the time of lunar accretion. Accordingly, it may be assumed that the moon initially accreted from refractory material. The good correlation between volatile/involatile element ratios (e.g., Cs/U, K/La, K/Zr) in both highland and maria samples means that element distribution in lunar crustal rocks is not governed by volatility differences. This and other evidence encourages the view that the moon was accreted homogeneously. A consequence of homogeneous accretion theories is that very efficient large-scale element fractionation is required to account both for the high near-surface concentrations of refractory elements (e.g., Th, U, REE, Zr, Ba, etc.) and for the Ca-Al-rich crust.

Taylor, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Encealdus Orbilander: A Flagship Mission Concept for Astrobiology

"Whether life exists beyond Earth remains a fundamental question driving our exploration of the Solar System. At Saturn’s moon Enceladus, plumes of oceanic material vented into space allow the investigation of the astrobiological potential of an ocean world, hinted at by Cassini, without the necessity of drilling through kilometers of ice crust. The Enceladus Orbilander is a flagship ($2.56B in fiscal year 2025 dollars) mission concept created for the 2023–2033 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Orbilander takes full advantage of the opportunity provided by Enceladus’ plumes to search for signs of life. A single spacecraft both orbits and lands, capturing samples from four distinct reservoirs offered by the plumes. These samples, both particulate and vapor, are then analyzed by the Life Detection Suite (LDS), a set of five instruments conducting complementary and orthogonal biosignature-seeking measurements. To provide the context that specifically enhances interpretation of LDS measurements, geochemical and geophysical investigations are conducted both in orbit and on the surface. These reveal the physio-chemical state of the ocean and core as well as the processes involved in ejection of plume material and how these affect the ocean material analyzed by the LDS. The Orbilander can be delivered to the Saturn system via several launch vehicle and trajectory options, including a direct trajectory (7-year cruise), a ∆V-EGA trajectory (9-year cruise) and several options using an inner cruise with Venus and Earth flybys (10-year cruise). Upon Saturn Orbit Insertion, a 4-year moon tour pumps down the Orbilander’s orbit to intercept Enceladus. The most optimal arrival times balance the Jupiter flyby opportunities of the late 2030s and solar illumination at the Enceladus high southern latitudes where plume material is most abundant. This mission concept therefore targets project start in 2030. Upon Enceladus Orbit Insertion, the Orbilander begins a 1.5-year-long campaign of landing site reconnaissance, remote sensing science, and collecting sufficient plume sample to run all but one of the LDS measurements. After successful landing, the Orbilander spends 2 years on the surface conducting multiple LDS measurements with all five instruments on actively and passively collected plume material, as well as seismic investigations. The schedule laid out here is well-defined, but the mission also has operational and resource flexibility should additional reconnaissance be needed. As part of the design study, mission and development risks were identified and mitigation strategies proposed. Technologies key to achieving the life detection science objectives include instrumentation matured under programs like COLDTech and ICEE-2, such as aspects of the sampling system and microfluidic devices, as well as well-known techniques like high-resolution and separation-capable mass spectrometers. Autonomous onboard navigation is planned to maintain a halo orbit around Enceladus to enable passive sampling from orbit as well as reconnaissance measurements for use in site selection and landing. Terrain relative navigation is included to ensure safe landing, given that targeted areas may contain landing hazards. Continued development of radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) technology and long-life batteries is essential for this long duration mission. The Enceladus Orbilander represents an optimal point in the trade space of science value versus cost, taking advantage of the extensive knowledge of Enceladus provided by Cassini, how well Enceladus lends itself to a search for life in material from its ocean, and the flexibility afforded by the innovative design developed by the APL team. By taking full advantage of Enceladus’ plumes both in orbit and on the surface, Orbilander represents a robust search for life with complementary and orthogonal biosignatures as well as contextual geophysical and geochemical measurements, determining not only whether Enceladus is inhabited (at levels up to 500,000× scarcer than in Earth’s oceans) but also why. "

Exobiology↗