Results for “lunar rover” — Page 24

NASA NTRS2011

The Traverse Planning Process for the Drats 2010 Analog Field Simulations

Traverse planning concentrates on optimizing the science return within the overall objectives of planetary surface missions or their analog field simulations. Such simulations were conducted in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, northern Arizona, from Aug. 26 to Sept 17, 2010 and involved some 200 individuals in the field, with some 40 geoscientists composing the science team. The purpose of these Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) is to exercise and evaluate developmental hardware, software and operational concepts in a mission-like, fully-integrated, setting under the direction of an onsite Mobile Mission Control Center(MMCC). DRATS 2010 focused on the simultaneous operation of 2 rovers, a historic first. Each vehicle was manned by an astronaut-commander and an experienced field geologist. Having 2 rovers and crews in the field mandated substantially more complex science and mission control operations compared to the single rover DRATS tests of 2008 and 2009, or the Apollo lunar missions. For instance, the science support function was distributed over 2 "back rooms", one for each rover, with both "tactical" teams operating independently and simultaneously during the actual traverses. Synthesis and integration of the daily findings and forward planning for the next day(s) was accomplished overnight by yet another "strategic" science team.

Horz, Friedrich↗

NASA NTRS2016

Agile: From Software to Mission System

The Resource Prospector (RP) is an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology demonstration mission, designed to search for volatiles at the Lunar South Pole. This is NASA's first near real time tele-operated rover on the Moon. The primary objective is to search for volatiles at one of the Lunar Poles. The combination of short mission duration, a solar powered rover, and the requirement to explore shadowed regions makes for an operationally challenging mission. To maximize efficiency and flexibility in Mission System design and thus to improve the performance and reliability of the resulting Mission System, we are tailoring Agile principles that we have used effectively in ground data system software development and applying those principles to the design of elements of the mission operations system.

software engineering↗

NASA NTRS2023

Flexible User Radio for Lunar Missions

NASA’s Artemis program and other lunar exploration and development programs are planning over 40 lunar missions before 2030. Lunar missions, both crewed and uncrewed, include orbiters, landers, rovers, and surface stations. All these missions require communications with Earth, either via Direct to Earth (DTE) links or through relays in lunar orbit. Multiple DTE options are available among existing and planned ground stations: Deep Space Network (DSN), European Space Agency, and others. Relay options include the planned Lunar Gateway, LunaNet compliant relays, and some lunar landers propose to launch dedicated orbiters. The dilemma for lunar system designers is to identify a communication link which meets mission requirements but does not have issues of limited access (e.g. DSN is in high demand supporting deep space missions with high priority and some with inflexible schedules), system impacts (high power Radio Frequency (RF) for DTE links), cost (dedicated relay), or operational date. To avoid this difficult decision, a Flexible Radio for Lunar Missions is proposed, which will enable system designs to proceed prior to any final decision on the communication network to be used, by enabling compatibility with any of multiple DTE or orbital relay communication systems. The Flexible Radio will support the necessary frequency, bandwidth, modulation, and power requirements to interoperate with the majority of known or planned DTE or relay systems, and can be designed into a lunar mission without prior knowledge of which link will ultimately be used. Furthermore, the link being used can be changed as needed during the mission, in near real time. The Flexible Radio design will leverage work already completed at NASA in the areas of Wideband RF, Software Defined Radio, Adaptive Coding and Modulation, and Phased Array antennas. The Flexible Radio requires sufficient bandwidth to cover the allocated frequencies for both the operation of links in cislunar space and for space-to-Earth links; the flexibility to support multiple modulations, data rates, and coding schemes; the ability to identify available relays, detect and recognize the signals of those relays, and adapt its own frequency, modulation, symbol rate, and code rate to operate with the detected relay (or DTE station); and finally, it requires appropriate software to support network configuration and interoperability with the detected network. The Flexible Radio can be designed in a sufficiently small, lightweight, and low-power package to be used in a wide variety of lunar systems. The initial implementation, as proposed, will focus on the Ka-band, supporting up to 2 GHz bandwidth around the 27 GHz frequency for return links, and 23 GHz for forward links. Other frequency bands are under consideration for future configurations. The software defined modem will support OQPSK, BPSK, and NASA-defined modulations which also support two-way ranging with data. For near-real time adaptation, the Flexible Radio will scan the sky for available relays, using a phased array antenna with Adaptive/Cognitive Communications. It will then configure for network interoperability supporting DTN and other protocol options. The Flexible Radio will support scheduled connections and on-demand use when available.

Lunar Space Communications↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Flexible User Radio for Lunar Missions

NASA’s Artemis program and other lunar exploration and development programs are planning over 40 lunar missions before 2030. Lunar missions, both crewed and uncrewed, include orbiters, landers, rovers, and surface stations. All these missions require communications with Earth, either via Direct to Earth (DTE) links or through relays in lunar orbit. Multiple DTE options are available among existing and planned ground stations: Deep Space Network (DSN), European Space Agency, and others. Relay options include the planned Lunar Gateway, LunaNet compliant relays, and some lunar landers propose to launch dedicated orbiters. The dilemma for lunar system designers is to identify a communication link which meets mission requirements but does not have issues of limited access (e.g. DSN is in high demand supporting deep space missions with high priority and some with inflexible schedules), system impacts (high power Radio Frequency (RF) for DTE links), cost (dedicated relay), or operational date. To avoid this difficult decision, a Flexible Radio for Lunar Missions is proposed, which will enable system designs to proceed prior to any final decision on the communication network to be used, by enabling compatibility with any of multiple DTE or orbital relay communication systems. The Flexible Radio will support the necessary frequency, bandwidth, modulation, and power requirements to interoperate with the majority of known or planned DTE or relay systems, and can be designed into a lunar mission without prior knowledge of which link will ultimately be used. Furthermore, the link being used can be changed as needed during the mission, in near real time. The Flexible Radio design will leverage work already completed at NASA in the areas of Wideband RF, Software Defined Radio, Adaptive Coding and Modulation, and Phased Array antennas. The Flexible Radio requires sufficient bandwidth to cover the allocated frequencies for both the operation of links in cislunar space and for space-to-Earth links; the flexibility to support multiple modulations, data rates, and coding schemes; the ability to identify available relays, detect and recognize the signals of those relays, and adapt its own frequency, modulation, symbol rate, and code rate to operate with the detected relay (or DTE station); and finally, it requires appropriate software to support network configuration and interoperability with the detected network. The Flexible Radio can be designed in a sufficiently small, lightweight, and low-power package to be used in a wide variety of lunar systems. The initial implementation, as proposed, will focus on the Ka-band, supporting up to 2 GHz bandwidth around the 27 GHz frequency for return links, and 23 GHz for forward links. Other frequency bands are under consideration for future configurations. The software defined modem will support OQPSK, BPSK, and NASA-defined modulations which also support two-way ranging with data. For near-real time adaptation, the Flexible Radio will scan the sky for available relays, using a phased array antenna with Adaptive/Cognitive Communications. It will then configure for network interoperability supporting DTN and other protocol options. The Flexible Radio will support scheduled connections and on-demand use when available.

Lunar Space Communications↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Concept of Operations for Tunable Optical Orbital Power Beaming to the Lunar Surface

The provision of power for the survival of lunar night and in permanently shadowed regions are two of the major inhibitors of exploration and habitation on the lunar surface. Orbital power beaming provides the flexibility necessary for a variety of surface clients including - Commercial Lunar Payload Systems (CLPS) landers, Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs), and pressurized & unpressurized rovers. Operation at key optical frequencies along with spot size & power tuning capabilities allows for compatibility with current solar array technology with little augmentation required on the client side. Through STK analysis, key orbits have been selected and a generalized concept of operations has been conceptualized in order to better understand the benefits and expectations of a long-range tunable optical power beaming laser system.

power↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Surface Position Determination using Perceived Signal Strength

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of transmitters and receivers on the lunar surface for Position Determination (PD) without any form of lunar Global Positioning System (GPS). The early Artemis program may lack GPS satellites orbiting the Moon, and it is critical that activities with the lander, rover, and crew EVA identify their position on the lunar surface at all times. This project creates a prototype system that trilaterates user position based upon the perceived signal from at least 3 nearby transmission towers, called “Lunar Access Points”. The application of perceived signal strength for surface PD has historically been used in terrestrial systems such as Long Range Navigation (LORAN), which was popular with the maritime industry prior to the Global Positioning System (GPS). The ease of installing such a local system for early Artemis missions provides a critical resource until satellite-based position determination systems are deployed. A surface-based PD can also be used in GPS-denied environments such as deep craters or lava tubes where satellite visibility is compromised. By demonstrating the basic capability of surface PD, this student team has learned about issues with power, distance, thermal, dust, radiation, data processing, and communication problems applicable to the lunar surface. This knowledge can feed into future NASA requirements to improve the capability of a LunaNET implementation for the Artemis program. This project follows 10 years of successful collaboration between NASA JSC/ARES, Texas Space, Technology, Applications and Research (T STAR) and Texas A&M University in a Public, Private, Academic (PPA) Partnership. NASA funds T STAR to mentor undergraduate Capstone teams in the College of Engineering Department to design, built, and test prototypes meeting NASA requirements. TAMU faculty lead the student teams in their academic class, and NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) provide T STAR and students insight on requirements evolution, prior design projects, and future development goals.

Position Determination↗

NASA NTRS1974

Martian and lunar science with remotely-controlled long-range surface vehicles

Science objectives are outlined for long surface traverse missions on Mars and the moon, with remotely-controlled roving vehicles. Series of candidate rover science payloads are proposed, varying in purpose, development needed, cost, and weight (35 to almost 300 kg). A high degree of internal control will be needed on the Mars rover, including the ability to carry out complex science sequences. Decision-making by humans in the Mars mission includes supervisory control of rover operations and selection of features and samples of geological and biological interest. For the lunar mission, less control on the rover and more on earth is appropriate. Operational problem areas for Mars include control, communications, data storage, night operations, and the mission operations system. For the moon, science data storage on the rover would be unnecessary and control much simpler.

Jaffe, L. D.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Metallic Environmentally Resistant Coating Rapid Innovation Initiative (MERCRII)

Mission concepts such as JPL’s Endurance-A utilize rovers such as Astrolab’s FLEX concept to explore the lunar surface. For these types of systems, lightweight alloys such as aluminum (Al) and titanium (Ti) are often specified to minimize mass while maintaining structural integrity. Such alloys, however, exhibit poor tribological response in the form of high friction and wear, especially in extreme space environments and with the additional presence of lunar regolith. This shortens the lifetimes of these systems which have a requirement to traverse 1,00km/year. This project is addressing the technology need of this and future rover missions by developing advanced wear- and radiation-resistant coatings for lightweight parts to extend the lifetime and sustainability of both lunar and Martian assets.

MISSE↗

NASA NTRS2019

An Overview of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) Mission

A critical goal to both science and exploration is to understand the form and location of lunar polar volatiles. The lateral and vertical distributions of these volatiles inform us of the processes that control the emplacement and retention of these volatiles, as well as helping to formulate in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) architectures. While significant progress has been made from orbital observations, measurements at a range of scales from centimeters to kilometers across the lunar surface are needed to generate adequate "volatile mineral models" for use in evaluating the resource potential of volatiles at the Moon. VIPER is a solar and battery powered rover mission designed to operate over multiple lunar days, traversing several kilometers as it continuously monitors for subsurface hydrogen and other surface volatiles. In specific thermal terrain types, including permanently shadowed terrain and locales that permit near-surface ice stability, subsurface samples will be examined for volatile content using a one-meter drill. This talk will provide an overview of the VIPER mission which is scheduled for flight to the Lunar South Pole in December 2022.

Colaprete, Anthony↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Viper Science Operations: Science Traverse Planning Perspectives, Processes, and Tools.

Introduction: The NASA Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) launchesin late 2024 towards a landing site on Mons Mouton in the Nobile region of the Lunar South Pole (LSP). As described in other LPSC presentations [1,2,3], the primary objective of the VIPER mission is to study the composition and distribution of hydrogen-bearing and other volatiles by way of a complementary suite of payloads that the rover will carry to the Moon: three “prospecting” instruments which operate continuously while roving - the Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS), the Near InfraRed Volatiles Spectrometer System (NIRVSS), and the Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations (MSolo). A 1-meter auguring/percussive drill called the The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploration of New Terrains (TRIDENT) is used to bring subsurface cuttings to the surface in 10-cm increments where they are interrogated by NIRVSS and MSolo. The Visible Imaging System is comprised of eight cameras (the NavCam stereo pair mounted on the mast gimbal, the AftCam stereo pair mounted on the aft panel, and four HazCams mounted in the wheel wells) that capture grayscale visible wavelength images of the lunar environment and the rover’s upper deck. The VIPER mobility system is a four-wheel design that includes the following motorized modules: Suspension, Steering, and Drive/Propulsion. Wheel odometry and applied torque — combined with position data from rover imagery — can be used to compute assessments of ‘slip and sinkage’. Slope estimates can be computed from stereo rover imagery, as well as pitch and roll data from the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and Star Tracker telemetry.

Darlene Sze Shien Lim↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Electrostatic Charging of the Lunar Surface

Lunar regolith dust particles accumulate charge and interact electrostatically with rover wheels, astronaut boots, and equipment. We have developed instrumentation for in situ measurements of the electrostatic charge developed by the interactions of lunar regolith dust with the space-rated materials on these devices. This instrument is also capable of measuring the distribution of electric fields on or near the lunar surface and the ion currents present near the lunar surface. We also report on our efforts to characterize the charging behavior of lunar dust in low gravity environments. This behavior is nonintuitive due to complex interactions between individual dust grains. We are developing an experiment to study this interaction in a microgravity vacuum environment. Better understanding of this interaction will allow for improved dust mitigation on the lunar surface.

electrostatics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Electrostatic charging of the lunar regolith

Lunar regolith dust particles accumulate charge and interact electrostatically with rover wheels, astronaut boots, and equipment. We have developed instrumentation for in situ measurements of the electrostatic charge developed by the interactions of lunar regolith dust with the space-rated materials on these devices. This instrument is also capable of measuring the distribution of electric fields on or near the lunar surface and the ion currents present near the lunar surface. We also report on our efforts to characterize the charging behavior of lunar dust in low gravity environments. This behavior is nonintuitive due to complex interactions between individual dust grains. We are developing an experiment to study this interaction in a microgravity vacuum environment. Better understanding of this interaction will allow for improved dust mitigation on the lunar surface.

electrostatics↗

DOE OSTI2021

Evaluating the Thickness and Stratigraphy of Ejecta Materials at the Chang’e-4 Landing Site

The landing site of China’s Chang’e-4 (CE-4) probe is located on the mare basalts on the floor of the Von Kármán crater on the lunar far side. The Von Kármán crater is inside the ancient and highly cratered South Pole–Aitken basin, which has experienced complex emplacement sequences of both near and distant ejecta materials. These issues complicated the interpretation of the CE-4 surface in situ measurements of the visible and near-infrared spectrometer and the lunar penetrating radar (LPR) onboard Yutu-2 rover. To evaluate the sources and amounts of all principle foreign materials at the CE-4 landing site, we thoroughly examine the ejecta delivered by crater-forming events that occurred later than the formation of the mare basalts at the CE-4 landing site. We found a total of 16 craters that may have delivered ejecta thicker than 10 cm level superposed on the mare basalts at the CE-4 landing site. Crater Finsen, Von Kármán L, Von Kármán L′, and Maksutov are the top four major foreign material sources, and each of them contributed ejecta thicker than 1 m. Our surveys confirm that the ejecta from Finsen crater are the most dominant foreign materials in the uppermost few meters at the CE-4 landing site and the total impact ejecta deposited upon the mare basalts at the landing site is estimated to be thinner than 30 m. We found that the estimations from Pike’s model are the most consistent with the Yutu-2 LPR observations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1993

Rover requirements for the planet surface segment of the space exploration initiative

Annotated requirements for rovers to be used for the First Lunar Outpost (FLO) of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and for Mars missions are presented. The requirements are presented in the form of functions as opposed to performance. SEI surface systems will be required to execute many roving vehicle functions ranging from transporting humans to recovery and transporting raw materials to a processing plant. Some of the roving vehicles will be highly automated. These automation functions may include the following: teleoperated site survey and certification; teleoperation for repair; autonomous operations for resource location and mining; autonomous navigation and terrain traverse; and telerobotic scientific investigations. These requirements are complex, contradictory, and will be costly if they are not carefully analyzed and properly allocated to conceptual elements. Of greatest importance will be the iterative analysis of requirements and synergistic utilization of vehicle elements.

Roberts, Barney B.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Redeployable Sensor Probe for In-Situ Lunar Resource Mapping from Small Landers

The use of in-situ resources in lunar regolith for production of propellant, life support, and construction (e.g. polar water ice, hydrogen, helium-3, and regolith minerals) will enable sustainable robotic and human space exploration and pave the way for commercialization of lunar exploration. Currently, the search for and characterization of resources on the Moon uses orbital datasets and local geological and geophysical surveys to map and characterize potential deposits. To develop efficient ISRU systems, it is essential to find, characterize, and map lunar resources in-situ, at local scales, using deployable, analytical payloads. We have developed a 3 kg, TRL4 scientific payload, MoonSHOT (Moon Subsurface Hydrogen Optical Tool), to characterize and map lunar resources from a small lander or rover.

Sobron, P.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Lunar Commercial Development Infographic

This infographic captures Commercial Landers and Rovers presented in the dates that the companies said in public sources that they plan to deploy their vehicles to the Moon and includes NASA activities (Gateway, Orion, PPP Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity), CLPS, and private investors (Bigelow, Blue Origin, SpaceX). This image is expected to change over time to reflect changes in company's plans as they develop their spacecraft. All images used are public domain except for SpaceX and Bigelow images.

Lynn D Harper↗

NASA NTRS2020

Evaluation of Performance, Fatigue and Workload during Real-time, Reactive Telerobotic Mission Control Operations

Telerobotic operations involve a user operating a robot from a different location from where the activity is taking place. It can be difficult for humans to maintain performance when faced with physiological stressors, such as fatigue or illness. Operations require vigilance for extended periods, raising safety concerns surrounding operator’s fatigue and workload. Every hour of wakefulness increases the drive to sleep, causing decreased reaction time (RT), increased lapses in attention (RT > 500 ms), and decreased memory capability. The NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was created to evaluate the multiple attributes surrounding workload (e.g., mental and physical demands). The upcoming Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission involves remotely controlling a lunar vehicle from an Earth-based mission control station. The goal of VIPER is to excavate the moon for volatiles (water) deep in the surface near the South Pole for a 100-day, continuous operation.

Fatigue↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Metallic Environmentally Resistant Coating Rapid Innovation Initiative Under Extreme Space Environments

Mission concepts such as JPL’s Endurance-A campaign will utilize rovers such as Astrolab’s FLEX concept to explore the lunar surface. For these types of systems, lightweight alloys such as aluminum (Al) and titanium (Ti) are often specified to minimize mass while maintaining structural integrity [1,2,3]. Such alloys, however, exhibit poor tribological response in the form of high friction and wear, especially in extreme space environments and with the additional presence of lunar regolith. This shortens the lifetimes of these systems which have a requirement to traverse 1,00km/year [2,3]. The MERCRII project is ad-dressing the technology need of this and future rover missions by developing advanced wear- and radiation-resistant coatings for lightweight parts to extend the lifetime and sustainability of both lunar and Martian assets. The MERCRII project focuses on the technology taxonomies of exploration destination systems, mission infrastructure, and sustainability and supportability to explore both new and existing coating technologies, including material formulations and application methods. Several material formulations were considered for their wear resistance and fracture toughness and the following were chosen for Phase I testing: Nickle Titani-um (NiTi), Aluminum Oxide (AlO), and Ti64 with hBN at two and ten vol percent (Ti-2vol%hBN and Ti-10vol%hBN).

S. Rengifo↗