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At least 253 records · Page 14
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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

From Apollo to Artemis: Opening and Processing Lunar Core 73002 for the ANGSA Program

The Apollo mission returned 382 kg of lunar material comprising rock, soil and core samples. Some of these samples were intentionally set aside after their return from the Moon for future study, including samples sealed on the lunar surface, frozen samples and samples stored under Helium. The Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) program was established to study thesesamples, in part to help bridge the gap between Apollo and the next generation of lunar science and exploration.Apollo 17 double drive tube core sample 73001/73002 was collected about 50 meters east of Lara Crater from a landslide deposit originating from South Massif. After separating the two halves, the lower drive tube 73001 was immediately sealed in a special vacuum container. Both drive tubes were then placed in an Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container (ALSRC) and returned to Earth under vacuum. Total sample weight and length of 73001/73002 is 1263.0 g and up to 60 cm, with the upper drive 73002 containing 429.7 g and 23 cm of material ( which was then compressed to 18.5 cm during extrusion in the lab). We will present the meticulous methods involved in preparing for, opening and processing lunar core 73002, the upper half of the double drive tube. This includes searching and locating procedures and tools, practicing assembly and extrusion in a mock-up, and finally opening and dissecting the core sample 73002. Challenges (both expected and unexpected) encountered along the way and lessons learned during this project will help pave the way towards improving future lunar sample return missions and advancing insight into the Moon’s history

C. H. Krysher↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Quantitative Characterization of Lunar Regolith Simulants for Direct Comparison to Apollo Soil Samples

Introduction: Sustained characterization efforts of lunar regolith simulant properties are not only integral for verification of commercially-produced material designed for a wide array of testing applications but are also necessary in establishing a comprehensive comparison to a lunar reference source. As a resource for the lunar science and engineering communities, the Simulant Development Lab (SDL) within the Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science (ARES) division at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is actively pursuing closure of existing knowledge gaps in fundamental simulant attributes, including chemistry, mineralogy, particle size distribution, particle geometry, bulk and relative density, magnetic susceptibility, and shear strength (i.e., cohesion and angle of internal friction), as well as producing Figures of Merit for comparison of lunar simulants to Apollo regolith samples.

R. Kovtun↗
NASA NTRS2013

Small Radioisotope Power System Testing at NASA Glenn Research Center

In April 2009, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) formed an integrated product team (IPT) to develop a Small Radioisotope Power System (SRPS) utilizing a single Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) with passive balancer. A single ASC produces approximately 80 We making this system advantageous for small distributed lunar science stations. The IPT consists of Sunpower, Inc., to provide the single ASC with a passive balancer, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) to design an engineering model Single Convertor Controller (SCC) for an ASC with a passive balancer, and NASA GRC to provide technical support to these tasks and to develop a simulated lunar lander test stand. The single ASC with a passive balancer, simulated lunar lander test stand, and SCC were delivered to GRC and were tested as a system. The testing sequence at GRC included SCC fault tolerance, integration, electromagnetic interference (EMI), vibration, and extended operation testing. The SCC fault tolerance test characterized the SCCs ability to handle various fault conditions, including high or low bus power consumption, total open load or short circuit, and replacing a failed SCC card while the backup maintains control of the ASC. The integrated test characterized the behavior of the system across a range of operating conditions, including variations in cold-end temperature and piston amplitude, including the emitted vibration to both the sensors on the lunar lander and the lunar surface. The EMI test characterized the AC and DC magnetic and electric fields emitted by the SCC and single ASC. The vibration test confirms the SCCs ability to control the single ASC during launch. The extended operation test allows data to be collected over a period of thousands of hours to obtain long term performance data of the ASC with a passive balancer and the SCC. This paper will discuss the results of each of these tests.

Vibration↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Optical Characterization of CLPS MiniatureLaser Retroreflector Arrays

Laser retroreflector arrays (LRAs) consisting of corner cube retroreflectors (CCRs) can act as fiducial markers for decades of laser ranging on the Moon and other planetary bodies. Upcoming lunar lander missions from government space agencies and commercial partners offer a unique opportunity to support lunar science and exploration through the deployment of small LRAs on lander decks. Placement of an LRA on the deck of a lander or rover enables tracking with an orbital laser altimeter to aprecision on the order of centimeters. When mounted alongside a suite of scientific instruments the LRA enables precise geolocation of those instruments in the lunar geodetic frame. Finally, optical markers such as LRAs can support precision autonomous navigation and landing regardless of lighting conditions, an especially valuable capability for lunar polar exploration where long shadows complicate terrain relative nagivation using imaging methods.

Daniel R. Cremons↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mineralogical, Elemental, and Tomographic Reconnaissance Investigation for CLPS (METRIC): A Proposed Mission to the Lunar South Pole-Aitken Basin

The global Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) hypothesis is based on analyses of ferroan anorthosites (FAN), magnesian plutonic rocks (Mg-suite), and KREEPy (Potassium - K; Rare Earth Elements - REE; Phosphorous - P) material present at the Apollo landing sites and the assumed global distribution of these lithologies. However, orbital spacecraft data over the last two decades have highlighted that the location of the Apollo missions within and near the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) is compositionally anomalous and not representative of the entire lunar surface and suggests that Apollo samples provide a biased view of the Moon. Further, meteorites, which originate from random areas on the lunar surface, including those not visited by Apollo, Luna, or Chang’E-5, provide complementary datasets that reveal a more complex lunar formation and evolution than the simple LMO onion skin model. While many recent investigations support and refine the LMO model, other recent studies have questioned whether this mechanism alone is responsible for the primordial differentiation of the Moon. Thus, relating the distinct and asymmetrically distributed geochemical terranes on the Moon, especially KREEP which is a predicted global LMO product, to lunar formation and differentiation remains a fundamental goal of lunar science. The South Pole-Aitken (SPA) impact carved a two-and-a-half thousand-kilometer basin into the Moon’s ancient crust, excavating material from as deep as the upper mantle. Orbital remote sensing of the basin indicates compositions with elevated thorium (Th) contents and unique mineralogies that provide a window into early lunar structure and LMO processes. We propose to land a powerful characterization laboratory at Birkeland crater on the far side of the Moon–where Th-rich SPA ejecta have been re-exposed near the surface–in order to address outstanding questions about the evolution of the Moon.

K M Cannon↗
NASA NTRS1992

Lunar Surface Rovers

Many questions of lunar science remain unanswered because of a lack of specific data. With the potential for returning humans to the Moon and establishing a long-term presence there, a new realm of exploration is possible. Numerous plans have been outlined for orbital and surface missions. The capabilities and objectives of a small class of rovers to be deployed on the lunar surface are described. The objective of these small rovers is to collect detailed in situ information about the composition and distribution of materials on the lunar surface. Those data, in turn, would be applied to a variety of lunar geoscience questions and form a basis for planning human activities on the lunar surface.

Plescia, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Lunar Development Lab (LDL) Concept Leading to the First Human Lunar Outpost

The Lunar Development Lab (LDL) is a new concept to bring together academia, industry, non-profit organizations and NASA in an accelerator environment to generate new design solutions, technologies and architectures that will lead to the first human lunar outpost. By leveraging key partnerships in lunar science, mining, construction, chemical engineering and other key fields as well as making available rapid design, economic analysis, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools, significant progress can be made in a short amount of time. Therefore, the goal of LDL is to accelerate development and focus on economic solutions that can lead to sustainable and economical human lunar outpost.

Zuniga, Allison↗
NASA NTRS2000

New Views of the Moon: Improved Understanding Through Data Integration

Understanding the Moon is crucial to future exploration of the solar system.The Moon preserves a record of the first billion years of the Earth-Moon system's history, including evidence of the Moon's origin as accumulated debris from a giant impact into early Earth. Lunar rocks provide evidence of early differentiation and extraction of a crust. Lacking an atmospheric shield, the Moon's regolith retains a record of the activity of solar wind over the past 4 billion years. It also holds a complete record of impact cratering, and analysis of samples has allowed calibration of ages, and thus dating of other planetary surfaces. And because of its proximity to Earth, it's low gravity well, and stable surface, the Moon's resources will be useful both in establishing lunar habitations and as fuel for exploration beyond the Moon. Lunar science has advanced tremendously in the 30 years since the Apollo and Luna missions. We know that the Moon is strongly differentiated, and recent tungsten isotope studies indicate that this differentiation occurred soon after solar system formation. The Moon probably accreted rapidly from debris that formed as a large planetesimal struck the early Earth. Ancient highland rocks provide evidence of early lunar differentiation, and basalts formed by later melting within the mantle reveal it cumulus nature. However, the timing, extent, and depth of differentiation, variations within the mantle, and lateral and vertical variations within the crust can only be surmised from the limited sample suites,gravity studies,and surface geophysics of the Apollo era. Data from the recent Lunar Prospector and Clementine missions permit reassessment of the global characteristics of the Moon and a reexamination of the distribution of elemental components, rock and soil types, and resources, as well as remanent magnetism, gravity field, and global topography New research provides some answers, but also leads to new questions.

Jolliff, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The Lunar Orbital Prospector

The Moon is a body rich in natural resources and full of intriguing scientific questions, and it will most certainly play a central role in the growth of near-Earth and deep space ventures of the twenty-first century. The LOP mission is an example of one way to catalog the Moon's natural resources and to answer lunar science questions in parallel. In a realistic planetary exploration program, this mission must compete with other interesting planetary missions and therefore the LOP must be as low cost and adaptable as possible. This flexibility is reflected in the LOP's heavy design emphasis on modularity. The LOP mission can easily be expanded to include new technologies, and additional orbiters could be launched into lunar orbit to provide a constellation of remote-sensing platforms. This design thus projects a broad range of possibilities for continued lunar exploration in the next century.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2016

Availability of Previously Unprocessed ALSEP Raw Instrument Data, Derivative Data, and Metadata Products

In year 2010, 440 original data archival tapes for the Apollo Lunar Science Experiment Package (ALSEP) experiments were found at the Washington National Records Center. These tapes hold raw instrument data received from the Moon for all the ALSEP instruments for the period of April through June 1975. We have recently completed extraction of binary files from these tapes, and we have delivered them to the NASA Space Science Data Cordinated Archive (NSSDCA). We are currently processing the raw data into higher order data products in file formats more readily usable by contemporary researchers. These data products will fill a number of gaps in the current ALSEP data collection at NSSDCA. In addition, we have estabilished a digital, searcheable archive of ALSEP document and metadata as part of the web portal of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. It currently holds approx. 700 documents totaling approx. 40,000 pages

ALSEP↗
NASA NTRS2014

First Results from ARTEMIS, A New Two-Spacecraft Lunar Mission: Counter-Streaming Plasma Populations in the Lunar Wake

We present observations from the first passage through the lunar plasma wake by one of two spacecraft comprising ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun), a new lunar mission that re-tasks two of five probes from the THEMIS magnetospheric mission. On Feb 13, 2010, ARTEMIS probe P1 passed through the wake at approximately 3.5 lunar radii downstream from the Moon, in a region between those explored by Wind and the Lunar Prospector, Kaguya, Chandrayaan, and Chang'E missions. ARTEMIS observed interpenetrating proton, alpha particle, and electron populations refilling the wake along magnetic field lines from both flanks. The characteristics of these distributions match expectations from self-similar models of plasma expansion into vacuum, with an asymmetric character likely driven by a combination of a tilted interplanetary magnetic field and an anisotropic incident solar wind electron population. On this flyby, ARTEMIS provided unprecedented measurements of the interpenetrating beams of both electrons and ions naturally produced by the filtration and acceleration effects of electric fields set up during the refilling process. ARTEMIS also measured electrostatic oscillations closely correlated with counter-streaming electron beams in the wake, as previously hypothesized but never before directly measured. These observations demonstrate the capability of the comprehensively instrumented ARTEMIS spacecraft and the potential for new lunar science from this unique two spacecraft constellation.

Plasma↗
NASA NTRS2024

Planetary Science Training for Artemis Missions

Planetary geology training for Artemis crews and mission support teams is well underway. We recently reported on the development of our geology/planetary science training flow, and the cross-agency coordination efforts necessary for implementing the training [1, 2]. We discussed our progressive geology training program that starts with incoming astronaut classes, offers opportunities to maintain the geology proficiency between flight assignments, and trains the broader Artemis engineering-operations management community in geology and basic field methods [3, 4]. In this abstract, we outline and discuss our 2023 accomplishments and near-term plans for continued development of lunar science classroom content, field training objectives, and the delivery of geology training to astronauts and the Artemis mission engineers.

Artemis↗
NASA NTRS1979

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 10th, Houston, Tex., March 19-23, 1979, Proceedings. Volume 1 - Meteorites and lunar rocks

Papers are presented concerning studies of lunar basalts, highland rocks, and meteorites. Specific topics include the petrology and chemistry of basaltic fragments from Apollo 11 soil; the composition, magma types and petrogenesis of Apollo 17 high-Ti mare basalts; the chemistry and probable origin of Apollo 15 green glass; experimental studies of the partitioning of nickel and chromium into olivine from synthetic basaltic melts; the petrology and geochemistry of pristine highland rocks; the argon isotope age systematics of consortium breccia 73255; magnetite-sulfide-metal complexes in the Allende meteorite; the fractionation of refractory lithophile elements in chondritic meteorites; and the origin and relation to enstatite chondrites of aubrites.

Merrill, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Complex Indigenous Organic Matter Embedded in Apollo 17 Volcanic Black Glass Surface Deposits

Papers presented at the first Lunar Science Conference [1] and those published in the subsequent Science Moon Issue [2] reported the C content of Apollo II soils, breccias, and igneous rocks as rang-ing from approx.50 to 250 parts per million (ppm). Later Fegley & Swindle [3] summarized the C content of bulk soils from all the Apollo missions as ranging from 2.5 (Apollo 15) to 280 ppm (Apollo 16) with an overall average of 124+/- 45 ppm. These values are unexpectedly low given that multiple processes should have contributed (and in some cases continue to contribute) to the lunar C inventory. These include exogenous accretion of cometary and asteroidal dust, solar wind implantation, and synthesis of C-bearing species during early lunar volcanism. We estimate the contribution of C from exogenous sources alone is approx.500 ppm, which is approx.4x greater than the reported average. While the assessm ent of indigenous organic matter (OM) in returned lunar samples was one of the primary scientific goals of the Apollo program, extensive analysis of Apollo samples yielded no evidence of any significant indigenous organic species. Furthermore, with such low concentrations of OM reported, the importance of discriminating indigenous OM from terrestrial contamination (e.g., lunar module exhaust, sample processing and handling) became a formidable task. After more than 40 years, with the exception of CH4 [5-7], the presence of indigenous lunar organics still remains a subject of considerable debate. We report for the first time the identification of arguably indigenous OM present within surface deposits of black glass grains collected on the rim of Shorty crater during the Apollo 17 mission by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt.

Thomas-Keprta, Kathie L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advances in Stereo Photogrammetry Capabilities for in-Situ Ejecta Measurements in Lunar Plume-Surface Interactions

Plume-surface interaction is a critical topic of interest as human spaceflight programs establish a renewed presence on the Moon and push onwards to Mars. The erosion of regolith and high-speed ejection of soil and rocks which occurs during a powered spacecraft landing on lunar or terrestrial bodies can pose serious risks to the vehicle during landing and to existing ground assets. Ground testing campaigns have provided data sets in relevant environments (e.g., low pressure) in tandem with predictive computational model validation. To-date, limited in-situ flight data exists to inform the study of the key phenomena of plume-surface interaction: plume-flow physics, soil erosion, and ejecta dynamics. In two upcoming lunar missions, erosion of the lunar regolith will be measured in-situ using the stereo photogrammetry technique as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program. The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) will use a multiple-camera system to measure the erosion of the lunar regolith due to the vehicles’ rocket engine plumes during descent and after landing. The application of stereo photogrammetry to accurately measure a realistic eroded shape has been validated in laboratory work ahead of the scheduled flights. In preparation for future CLPS, Artemis, or other lunar science missions, recent advancements have been made to measure the ejecta structure and particle dynamics in addition to the erosion of regolith using a SCALPSS-like photogrammetry system. The thickness and ejection angle of entrained soil and dust produced during plume-induced erosion can be used to determine how far debris will travel, and thus how it may impact nearby infrastructure or the landing vehicle itself. The present work highlights the development of this new flight instrumentation capability and its value to advancements in the plume-surface interaction measurement topic for lunar or planetary landings.

Olivia K. Tyrrell↗
NASA NTRS2008

A Review of Lunar Meteorite Impact-Melt Clast Compositions and Ages

One of the important outstanding goals of lunar science is understanding the bombardment history of the Moon and calibrating the impact flux curve for extrapolation to the Earth and other terrestrial planets. Obtaining a sample from a carefully-characterized interior melt sheet or ring massif is a reliable way to tell a single crater's age. A different but complementary approach is to use extensive laboratory characterization (microscopic, geochemical, isotopic) of float samples to understand the integrated impact history of a region. Both approaches have their merits and limitations. In essence, the latter is the approach we have used to understand the impact history of the Feldspathic Highland Terrain (FHT) as told by lunar feldspathic meteorites.

Cohen, Barbara A.↗
NASA NTRS2022

EarthShine: Observing Our World as an Exoplanet from the Surface of the Moon

NASA’s return to the Moon coincides with explosive growth in exoplanet discovery. Missions are being formulated to search for habitable planets orbiting other stars, making this the ideal time to deploy an instrument suite to the lunar surface to help us recognize a habitable exoplanet when we see it. We present EarthShine, a technically mature, three-instrument suite to observe the whole Earth from the Moon as an exoplanet proxy. Earth Shine data will validate and improve models critical for designing missions to image and characterize exoplanets, thus informing observing strategies for flagship missions to directly image exoplanets. EarthShine will answer interconnected questions in Earth and lunar science, exoplanets, and astrobiology, related to the credo“ follow the water.” Earth Shine can take advantage of current NASA programs to conduct science from the Moon with low-cost, mature space hardware to reduce risk and assure success. Like the 1968 Apollo Earthrise image of our home planet, lonely in the black sky, the appeal of Earth Shine to a multidisciplinary array of researchers in Earth Science, Planetary Science, and astrophysics will maximize both its scientific impact and its impact on the general public.

EarthShine↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Recent Progress in the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS)

The International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) provides Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) observations and data products with a focus on Earth and Lunar science and engineering applications. The basic observables are the precise two-way time-of-flight of ultra-short laser pulses from ground stations to retroreflector arrays on satellites and the Moon and the one-way time-of-flight measurements to space-borne receivers (transponders). SLR is one of the four space geodetic techniques (along with VLBI, GNSS, and DORIS). The International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) development, maintained by IERS, is based on these geodetic observations. Fundamental data products include accurate satellite ephemerides, Earth orientation parameters, three dimensional coordinates and velocities of the ILRS tracking stations, time-varying geocenter coordinates, static and time-varying coefficients of the Earth’s gravity field, fundamental physical constants, lunar ephemerides and librations, and lunar orientation parameters. The ILRS continues to expand spatial and temporal coverage of SLR observations. New stations with new technologies are being deployed; existing stations are being upgraded. Some of these stations are multi-technique Core Sites. New satellites are expanding applications and strengthening the ILRS contribution to the reference frame. New analysis, modeling, and data processing techniques are improving data products. New campaigns are expanding our applications into relativity and the study of non-gravitational forces. New activities are underway on Lunar Laser Ranging, Time Transfer, and Space Debris Tracking, helping to expand laser ranging applications. This talk will give an update on the current ILRS activities and their impact on ILRS data products.

Report on the ILRS activities↗