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NASA NTRS2000

A Balanced Model for Exploration of the Terrestrial Planets: Lessons from the Lunar Experience

The Moon is the only extraterrestrial rocky body for which we have a combination of surface-selected samples, high-resolution orbital photography (Lunar Orbiter), manned and robotic surface exploration (Surveyor, Apollo, Luna), and global compositional, mineralogical, and geophysical data (Galileo, Clementine, Lunar Prospector). Beginning in 1998, CAPTEM organized a series of workshops and conference sessions aimed at integrating these diverse data sets. The insights gained by bringing together scientists from the remote-sensing and sample-analysis communities have been singularly rewarding. Not least of these has been the recognition by both groups that having both kinds of data maximizes the scientific return and permits reconciling information from diverse scales and perspectives. The 20-20 hindsight of the Lunar experience thus provides important lessons; learning from mistakes as well as successes, we can derive a sensible scientific program for Mars exploration. In this abstract, we describe examples of key information from (a) in-situ geologic investigation, (b) laboratory analysis of returned samples whose geologic context and location are known, and (c) global remote sensing of mineralogy, composition, and geophysical parameters. We then show the value of integrating these diverse data sets.

Jolliff, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Comments on the analysis of returned comet samples

It is argued that returned comet samples should be distributed to individual laboratories for analysis much in the same way that lunar samples are. In the context of emerging technologies, certain developments in other fields which may prove beneficial to the study of comets are reviewed, including cryogenic and tomographic techniques. It is noted that the lack of expertise in the area of cryogenic examination of comet samples is a current weakness in the ability of the extraterrestrial material community to handle comet samples and thus requires further training and preparations. Computer tomography scan images of a 'dirty snowball' are presented to illustrate the importance of developing new methods for comet sample analysis. It is suggested that microanalytic measurements of extraterrestrial samples at the atom-counting limit appear promising for the future.

Walker, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

From Apollo to Artemis: How Processing ANGSA Core Samples 73001/2 Can Help to Prepare for Future Sample Return Missions to the Moon and Beyond.

Introduction: Apollo Sample 73001/2 is a ~71cm long double drive tube consisting of an upper part (73002) and a lower part (73001) that contains regolith collected near Lara Crater at the Apollo 17 site, Station 3. The double drive tube is believed to have penetrated a lunar landslide deposit that was transported from the slope of the South Massif into the Taurus-Littrow Valley [1]. As part of the ANGSA (Apollo Next Generation Sample Analyses) initiative, preparing a preliminary examination (PE) catalog of 73001/2 is a crucial first step for the early identification of material types such as rock fragments and potential stratigraphy within the core. Many new curation and scientific tools such as X-ray computed tomography (XCT) [3], multi-spectral imaging [4], and gas extraction manifold with piercing tool [5-7], have been applied to the ANGSA core to benefit curation strategy, PE efforts, sample allocation to the planetary science community, and ultimately help to prepare for future sample return missions like Artemis. 73001/2 Preliminary Examination and Processing: Sample 73002 was successfully opened and extruded in Nov. 2019 and fully dissected at the end of 2021. Sample 73001 (Fig. 1) was successfully extruded in March 2022 after careful planning before opening the Core Sample Vacuum Container (CSVC) that was holding the drive tube of 73001. XCT, as part of PE, was used to scan the bottom and top part of the 73001 core tube within the CSVC prior to opening it to 1) facilitate non-destructive, rapid detection of any contamination potentials due to piercing of the CSVC during gas extraction [7]; and 2) to aid in the Artemis sample tool development and provide data on the knife edge seal of the CSVC. This knowledge will help us connect the mechanics of the implemented design (i.e., XCT data) to the performance of the seal (i.e., data on the gas samples will tell us how well the seal preserved the volatile record of lunar samples). Both type of information will feed forward into Artemis tool and storage strategies for future samples. Results and Lessons learned: The XCT data of the CSVC and core tube within showed that the bottom Teflon cap was not pierced during gas extraction (Fig. 1c) and thus, the sample integrity remained guaranteed during piercing and subsequent gas extraction. However, the XCT scan of the top of the core (Fig. 1b) revealed that the drive tube was overfilled with lunar soil and the tool that keeps the soil constrained within the drive tube was not fully deployed. These preliminary data allowed us to implement the necessary steps to prevent loss of sample integrity, including any potential stratigraphy shifts during extrusion. Processing Apollo core 73001/2, creating an informative PE catalog, and applying new and refined tools and technologies for sample analyses are invaluable activities that will assist in circumventing any potential pitfalls, aid in the characterization of samples, and help in the assessment of how well any lunar material has been collected and preserved in the past. This will aid in designing future sample collections and curation procedures and help to prepare for future human exploration and sampling missions such as Artemis. References: [1] Schmitt H. (2017) Icarus 298, 2-33. [3] Zeigler et al. (2021) LPSC 52nd, #2632; [4] Sun et al. (2021), LPSC 52nd, #1789; [5] Parai et al. (2021), LPSC 52nd #2665; [6] Schild et al. (2021) LPSC 52nd #1888; [7] McDonald (2022) ESL 2022.

ANGSA↗
NASA NTRS2009

Understanding the Activation and Solution Properties of Lunar Dust for Future Lunar Habitation

The decision to return humans to the moon by 2020 makes it imperative to understand the effects of lunar dust on human and mechanical systems.( Bush 2004; Gaier 2005; Mendell 2005) During the Apollo missions, dust was found to cause numerous problems for various instruments and systems. Additionally, the dust may have caused health issues for some of the astronauts.(Gaier 2005; Rowe 2007) It is necessary, therefore, for studies to be carried out in a variety of disciplines in order to mitigate the effects of the dust as completely as possible. Due to the lack of an atmosphere, there is nothing to protect the lunar soil from ultraviolet radiation, solar wind, and meteorite impacts. These processes could all serve to "activate" the soil, or produce reactive surface species. In order to understand the possible toxic effects of the reactive dust, it is necessary to "reactivate" the dust, as samples returned during the Apollo missions were exposed to the atmosphere of the Earth. We have used grinding and exposure to UV radiation in order to mimic some of the processes occurring on the lunar surface. To monitor the reactivity of the dust, we have measured the ability of the dust to produce hydroxyl radicals in solution. These radicals have been measured using a novel fluorescent technique developed in our laboratory,(Wallace et al. 2008) as well as using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).

Wallace, William T.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evolution of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory to the Astromaterial Sample Curation Facility: Technical Tensions Between Containment and Cleanliness, Between Particulate and Organic Cleanliness

The Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) was planned and constructed in the 1960s to support the Apollo program in the context of landing on the Moon and safely returning humans. The enduring science return from that effort is a result of careful curation of planetary materials. Technical decisions for the first facility included sample handling environment (vacuum vs inert gas), and instruments for making basic sample assessment, but the most difficult decision, and most visible, was stringent biosafety vs ultra-clean sample handling. Biosafety required handling of samples in negative pressure gloveboxes and rooms for containment and use of sterilizing protocols and animal/plant models for hazard assessment. Ultra-clean sample handling worked best in positive pressure nitrogen environment gloveboxes in positive pressure rooms, using cleanable tools of tightly controlled composition. The requirements for these two objectives were so different, that the solution was to design and build a new facility for specific purpose of preserving the scientific integrity of the samples. The resulting Lunar Curatorial Facility was designed and constructed, from 1972-1979, with advice and oversight by a very active committee comprised of lunar sample scientists. The high precision analyses required for planetary science are enabled by stringent contamination control of trace elements in the materials and protocols of construction (e.g., trace element screening for paint and flooring materials) and the equipment used in sample handling and storage. As other astromaterials, especially small particles and atoms, were added to the collections curated, the technical tension between particulate cleanliness and organic cleanliness was addressed in more detail. Techniques for minimizing particulate contamination in sample handling environments use high efficiency air filtering techniques typically requiring organic sealants which offgas. Protocols for reducing adventitious carbon on sample handling surfaces often generate particles. Further work is needed to achieve both minimal particulate and adventitious carbon contamination. This paper will discuss these facility topics and others in the historical context of nearly 50 years' curation experience for lunar rocks and regolith, meteorites, cosmic dust, comet particles, solar wind atoms, and asteroid particles at Johnson Space Center.

Allton, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Space Weathering of Olivine in Lunar Soils: A Comparison to Itokawa Regolith Samples

Regolith particles from airless bodies preserve a record of the space weathering processes that occurred during their surface exposure history. These processes have major implications for interpreting remote-sensing data from airless bodies. Solar wind irradiation effects occur in the rims of exposed grains, and impact processes result in the accumulation of vapordeposited elements and other surface-adhering materials. The grains returned from the surface of Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission allow the space weathering "style" of a chondritic, asteroidal "soil" to be compared to the lunar case. Here, we present new studies of space-weathered olivine grains from lunar soils, and compare these results to olivine grains from Itokawa. Samples and Methods: We analyzed microtome thin sections of olivine grains from the 20-45 micron fractions of three lunar soils: 71061, 71501 and 10084 (immature, submature and mature, respectively). Imaging and analytical data were obtained using a JEOL 2500SE 200kV field-emission scanning-transmission electron microscope equipped with a thin-window energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometer. Similar analyses were obtained from three Hayabusa olivine grains. Results and Discussion: We observed lunar grains showing a range of solar flare track densities (from <10(exp 9) to approx.10(exp 12)/sq cm). The lunar olivines all show disordered, highly strained, nanocrystalline rims up to 150-nm thick. The disordered rim thickness is positively correlated with solar flare track density. All of the disordered rims are overlain by a Si-rich amorphous layer, ranging up to 50-nm thick, enriched in elements that are not derived from the host olivine (e.g., Ca, Al, and Ti). The outmost layer represents impact-generated vapor deposits typically observed on other lunar soil grains. The Hayabusa olivine grains show track densities <10(exp 10)/sq cm and display disordered rims 50- to 100-nm thick. The track densities are intermediate to those observed in olivines in immature and submature lunar soils and indicate surface exposures of approx. 10(exp 5) years. The outermost few nanometers of the disordered rims on Hayabusa olivines are more Si-rich and Mg- and Fe-depleted relative to the cores of the grains and likely represent a minor accumulation of impact-generated vapors or sputter deposits. Nanophase Fe metal particles are less abundant in the Hayabusa rims compared to the rims on lunar grains. Conclusions: The Hayabusa and lunar olivine grain rims have widths and microstructures consistent with formation from atomic displacement damage from solar wind ions. The space weathering features in the Hayabusa grains are similar to those observed in olivines from immature to submature lunar soils. A major difference, however, is that the Hayabusa grains appear to lack the hypervelocity impact products (melt spherules, thick vapor deposits, and abundant nanophase Fe metal particles) that are common in lunar soil grains with a similar exposure history.

Keller, L. P.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Personnel techniques necessary to maximize bio-barrier integrity at a Martian receiving laboratory

The planning of biological isolation measures for the Mars Surface Sample Return Mission is discussed in terms of personnel and organizational management. Deficiencies in past operation of the Lunar Receiving Laborator are analyzed. It was found that the failure to clearly define relationship among the government agencies involved and to effectively integrate their objectives and responsibilities was a major cause of Laboratory deficiencies. Possible solutions to these problems are presented for application to future missions.

Michaelson, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Flows of impact melt at lunar craters

Lavalike materials that were emplaced in a fluid state occur in and around lunar impact craters whose diameters range from 3 km to more than 200 km and whose ages span a time interval of at least 3.5 billion years. The distribution of the lavalike deposits conforms to asymmetries of other ejecta from the same craters, and the material is concentrated downrange to distances as great as a crater radius. The character and distribution of the lavalike materials support the idea that they formed by impact melting rather than by volcanism. Returned samples indicate that materials with appropriate physical characteristics are generated by partial melting of feldspathic rocks by impact. The geologic evidence at lunar craters suggests that there is more melt rock in and near the craters than is predicted by experiment and theory.

Howard, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Human Lunar Destiny: Past, Present, and Future

This paper offers conceptual strategy and rationale for returning astronauts to the moon. NASA's historic Apollo program enabled humans to make the first expeditionary voyages to the moon and to gather and return samples back to the earth for further study. To continue exploration of the moon within the next ten to fifteen years, one possible mission concept for returning astronauts using existing launch vehicle infrastructure is presented. During these early lunar missions, expeditionary trips are made to geographical destinations and permanent outposts are established at the lunar south pole. As these missions continue, mining operations begin in an effort to learn how to live off the land. Over time, a burgeoning economy based on mining and scientific activity emerges with the formation of more accommodating settlements and surface infrastructure assets. As lunar activity advances, surface infrastructure assets grow and become more complex, lunar settlements and outposts are established across the globe, travel to and from the moon becomes common place, and commerce between earth and the moon develops and flourishes. Colonization and development of the moon is completed with the construction of underground cities and the establishment of a full range of political, religious, educational, and recreational institutions with a diverse population from all nations of the world. Finally, rationale for diversifying concentrations of humanity throughout earth's neighborhood and the greater solar system is presented.

Fletcher, David↗
NASA NTRS1984

Mineralogic and petrologic studies of meteorites and lunar samples

During a 13 year period beginning in 1971, the Extraterrestrial Petrology Group examined lunar soils from all 6 Apollo missions and those returned by the Soviet Luna 16, Luna 20, and Luna 24 missions. In addition, the properties and apparent origin of the carbonaceous chondrites were examined. Chondrules, calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI) and the fine grained matrix materials that accompany chondrules and CAI's in primitive meteorites were investigated. The effects of planetary hydrothermal alteration of matrix materials in the C1 chondrite was also investigated. Full length papers and extended abstracts published during the grant are listed chronologically.

Wood, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Lunar Daylight Exploration

With 1 rover, 2 astronauts and 3 days, the Apollo 17 Mission covered over 30 km, setup 10 scientific experiments and returned 110 kg of samples. This is a lot of science in a short time and the inspiration for a barebones, return-to-the-Moon strategy called Daylight Exploration. The Daylight Exploration approach poses an answer to the question, What could the Apollo crew have done with more time and today s robotics? In contrast to more ambitious and expensive strategies that create outposts then rely on pressurized rovers to drive to the science sites, Daylight Exploration is a low-overhead approach conceived to land near the scientific site, conduct Apollo-like exploration then leave before the sun goes down. A key motivation behind Daylight Exploration is cost reduction, but it does not come at the expense of scientific exploration. As a goal, Daylight Exploration provides access to the top 10 science sites by using the best capabilities of human and robotic exploration. Most science sites are within an equatorial band of 26 degrees latitude and on the Moon, at the equator, the day is 14 Earth days long; even more important, the lunar night is 14 days long. Human missions are constrained to 12 days because the energy storage systems required to operate during the lunar night adds mass, complexity and cost. In addition, short missions are beneficial because they require fewer consumables, do not require an airlock, reduce radiation exposure, minimize the dwell-time for the ascent and orbiting propulsion systems and allow a low-mass, campout accommodations. Key to Daylight Exploration is the use of piloted rovers used as tele-operated science platforms. Rovers are launched before or with the crew, and continue to operate between crew visits analyzing and collecting samples during the lunar daylight

Griffin, Brand Norman↗
NASA NTRS1972

Radioactivities in returned lunar materials

The Ar37, Ar39, and H3 were measured at four depths (from 0 to 19.5 cm) of the deep core from Apollo 16 and in four other Apollo 16 samples. The Ar37 increased steadily from 40 dpm/kg at the top of the core to 68 dpm/kg at 19-cm depth. The comparison of the Ar37 in the core with that in rock 15555 shows that the solar flare at the time of the Apollo 16 mission was approximately an order of magnitude less intense than solar flares of 24 January 1971 and 2 November 1969, which occurred before the Apollo 14 and 12 missions. The Ar39 activities in the top 19 cm of the deep core varied little with depth. Because the Apollo 16 samples have a much higher Ca content and much lower Fe and Ti contents than do the documented rocks from previous missions, the Ar39 in the Fe, Ca, and K can be determined from Ar39 measurements on lunar material if a Ti cross section is assumed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2004

Minimizing Launch Mass for ISRU Processes

The University of Dayton and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are developing a methodology for estimating the Earth launch mass (ELM) of processes for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) with a focus on lunar resource recovery. ISRU may be enabling for both an extended presence on the Moon, and for large sample return missions and for a human presence on Mars. To accomplish these exploration goals, the resources recovered by ISRU must offset the ELM for the recovery process. An appropriate figure of merit is the cost of the exploration mission, which is closely related to ELM. For a given production rate and resource concentration, the lowest ELM - and the best ISRU process - is achieved by minimizing capital equipment for both the ISRU process and energy production. ISRU processes incur Carnot limitations and second law losses (irreversibilities) that ultimately determine production rate, material utilization and energy efficiencies. Heat transfer, chemical reaction, and mechanical operations affect the ELM in ways that are best understood by examining the process's detailed energetics. Schemes for chemical and thermal processing that do not incorporate an understanding of second law losses will be incompletely understood. Our team is developing a methodology that will aid design and selection of ISRU processes by identifying the impact of thermodynamic losses on ELM. The methodology includes mechanical, thermal and chemical operations, and, when completed, will provide a procedure and rationale for optimizing their design and minimizing their cost. The technique for optimizing ISRU with respect to ELM draws from work of England and Funk that relates the cost of endothermic processes to their second law efficiencies. Our team joins their approach for recovering resources by chemical processing with analysis of thermal and mechanical operations in space. Commercial firms provide cost inputs for ELM and planetary landing. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

England, C.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Space Weathering in the Inner Solar System

"Space weathering" is the term given to the cumulative effects incurred by surfaces which are exposed to the harsh environment of space. Lunar sample studies over the last decade or so have produced a clear picture of space weathering processes in the lunar environment. By combining laboratory and remote spectra with microanalytical methods (scanning and transmission electron microscopy), we have begun to unravel the various processes (irradiation, micrometeorite bombardment, etc) that contribute to space weathering and the physical and optical consequences of those processes on the Moon. Using the understanding gleaned from lunar samples, it is possible to extrapolate weathering processes to other airless bodies from which we have not yet returned samples (i.e. Mercury, asteroids). Through experiments which simulate various components of weathering, the expected differences in environment (impact rate, distance from Sun, presence of a magnetic field, reduced or enhanced gravity, etc) and composition (particularly iron content) can be explored to understand how space weathering will manifest on a given body.

Noble, Sarah K.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Formation of South Pole-Aitken Basin as the Result of an Oblique Impact: Implications for Melt Volume and Source of Exposed Materials

The South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA) is the largest, deepest, and oldest identified basin on the Moon and contains surfaces that are unique due to their age, composition, and depth of origin in the lunar crust [1-3] (Figure 1). SPA has been a target of interest as an area for robotic sample return in order to determine the age of the basin and the composition and origin of its interior [3-6]. As part of the investigation into the origin of SPA materials there have been several efforts to estimate the likely provenance of regolith material in central SPA [5, 6]. These model estimates suggest that, despite the formation of basins and craters following SPA, the regolith within SPA is dominated by locally derived material. An assumption inherent in these models has been that the locally derived material is primarily SPA impact-melt as opposed to local basement material (e.g. unmelted lower crust). However, the definitive identification of SPA derived impact melt on the basin floor, either by remote sensing [2, 7] or via photogeology [8] is extremely difficult due to the number of subsequent impacts and volcanic activity [3, 4]. In order to identify where SPA produced impact melt may be located, it is important to constrain both how much melt would have been produced in a basin forming impact and the likely source of such melted material. Models of crater and basin formation [9, 10] present clear rationale for estimating the possible volumes and sources of impact melt produced during SPA formation. However, if SPA formed as the result of an oblique impact [11, 12], the volume and depth of origin of melted material could be distinct from similar material in a vertical impact [13].

Petro, N. E.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mars Orbit Rendezvous Strategy for the Mars 2003/2005 Sample Return Mission

The primary objective of the Mars 2003/2005 Sample Return Project is to return Martian surface materials to Earth from two different sites by the year 2008. The baseline mission plan relies heavily on the use of a Mars orbit rendezvous strategy similar to the lunar orbit rendezvous scheme used for the Apollo missions. The 2003 mission consists of a single spacecraft comprised of a Lander, Rover, and Mars ascent vehicle (MAV). The 2003 mission will be launched on a Delta-III-class launch vehicle in May/June 2003 and arrive at Mars in December 2003/January 2004. The Lander deploys the Rover to collect surface samples from several sites and return them to the Lander where they are transferred to a sample canister onboard the MAV. The MAV is launched into a low Mars orbit (targeted for 600 km circular, 45 deg inclination) and releases the sample canister to await retrieval by an Orbiter launched in 2005. (The sample canister is a passive vehicle with no maneuvering capability.) The duration of Mars surface operations is at most about 90 days. The 2005 mission consists of two separate spacecraft: a Lander/Rover/MAV spacecraft identical to that used for the 2003 mission and an Orbiter carrying an Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV). Both spacecraft will be launched on a single Ariane-5 in August 2005 and arrive at Mars in July/August 2006. A second sample canister is delivered to Mars orbit using the same scenario as was used for the 2003 mission. The Orbiter uses aerocapture for insertion into Mars orbit (targeted for 250 x 1400 km, 45 deg inclination). During its approximately one-year stay at Mars, the Orbiter will search for and attempt to rendezvous first with the 2003 sample canister and then with the 2005 sample canister. After retrieval, each sample canister is transferred to the EEV. The Orbiter departs Mars in July 2007 and returns to Earth in October 2008 on a trajectory targeted for landing at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). After deploying the EEV, the Orbiter performs a deflection maneuver to avoid reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

DAmario, Louis A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Thermal characteristics of Apollo 16 lunar fines

The vacuum thermal conductivity of the Apollo 16 fines is presented as a function of temperature for the approximate range of diurnal temperatures on the moon. The density used is 1500 kg/cu m, which is approximately the density of the core tube samples returned from the landing site. The thermal diffusivity was calculated from the conductivity, density and specific heat and is also presented. These properties along with the reflectance and emittance are used in a calculation of temperature in the lunar surface layer.

Cremers, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Characterization of Apollo Regolith by X-Ray and Electron Microbeam Techniques: An Analog for Future Sample Return Missions

The Apollo missions collected 382 kg of rock and regolith from the Moon; approximately 1/3 of the sample mass collected was regolith. Lunar regolith consists of well mixed rocks, minerals, and glasses less than 1-centimeter n size. The majority of most surface regolith samples were sieved into less than 1, 1-2, 2-4, and 4-10- millimiter size fractions; a portion of most samples was re-served unsieved. The initial characterization and classification of most Apollo regolith particles was done primarily by binocular microscopy. Optical classification of regolith is difficult because (1) the finest fraction of the regolith coats and obscures the textures of the larger particles, and (b) not all lithologies or minerals are uniquely identifiable optically. In recent years, we have begun to use more modern x-ray beam techniques [1-3], coupled with high resolution 3D optical imaging techniques [4] to characterize Apollo and meteorite samples as part of the curation process. These techniques, particularly in concert with SEM imaging of less than 1-millimeter regolith grain mounts, allow for the rapid characterization of the components within a regolith.

Zeigler, Ryan A.↗