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Results for “lunar processing”

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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At least 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Modification of fresh crater landforms - Evidence from the moon and Mercury

The morphology of fresh lunar and Mercurian craters provides insight into processes of crater formation and modification. Measurements determined for Mercurian craters and compared to previously presented lunar data are depth/diameter, central peak and wall-related mass movement frequencies as functions of diameter, crater rim wall width/rim diameter, rim diameter/floor diameter, and central peak height/rim diameter. Two important results are as follows: (1) there is no evidence for direct gravity scaling of crater morphology, although some slight scaling relationship may be indicated, and (2) mass movements are responsible for the change in depth/diameter relationship observed near 2-km depth and 10-km diameter. The latter result is helpful in explaining gravitational and topographic data which suggest low-density regions beneath large fresh craters.

Malin, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Lunar Resource Assessment: an Industry Perspective

The goals of the U.S. space program are to return to the Moon, establish a base, and continue onward to Mars. To accomplish this in a relatively short time frame and to avoid the high costs of transporting materials from the Earth, resources on the Moon will need to be mined. Oxygen will be one of the most important resources, to be used as a rocket propellant and for life support. Ilmenite and lunar regolith have both been considered as ores for the production of oxygen. Resource production on the Moon will be a very important part of the U.S. space program. To produce resources we must explore to identify the location of ore or feedback and calculate the surface and underground reserves. Preliminary resource production tests will provide the information that can be used in final plant design. Bechtel Corporation's experience in terrestrial engineering and construction has led to an interest in lunar resource assessment leading to the construction of production facilities on the Moon. There is an intimate link between adequate resource assessment to define feedstock quantity and quality, material processing requirements, and the successful production of lunar oxygen. Although lunar resource assessment is often viewed as a research process, the engineering and production aspects are very important to consider. Resource production often requires the acquisition of different types, scales, or resolutions of data than that needed for research, and it is needed early in the exploration process. An adequate assessment of the grade, areal extent, and depth distribution of the resources is a prerequisite to mining. The need for a satisfactory resource exploration program using remote sensing techniques, field sampling, and chemical and physical analysis is emphasized. These data can be used to define the ore for oxygen production and the mining, processing facilities, and equipment required.

Feldman, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Effects of surficial modification processes on thermal infrared signatures in the arid southwestern United States

Thermal infrared spectra from both laboratory and remote sensing instruments were used to distinguish different age lava flows with varying amounts of surficial modification at Cima and Lunar Crater volcanic fields. The modification processes affecting the lava flows cause spectral differences that can be seen in remotely sensed emittance spectra from the thermal infrared multispectral scanner. Important influences on the thermal infrared spectra include aeolian mantling, vegetation, lave flow roughness, and rock varnish. Laboratory thermal infrared reflectance spectra of the subaerially exposed surfaces of 1-15 cm basalt fragments at Cima volcanic field show a feature attributable to rock varnish on the younger flows (0.14-0.75 m.y.) that is lacking on the older flows (greater than 0.8 m.y.). This suggests that rock varnish is thinner on the older flows at Cima volcanic field. Scanning electron microscope images and thin sections of the different age flows at Cima volcanic field support the conclusion that rock varnish is thinner and may be eroding on the older flow surfaces.

Weitz, Catherine M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Computer-generated maps of lunar composition from gamma-ray data

Processing of some of the gamma-ray data obtained by Apollo 15 and 16 has been accomplished by analyzing count rates in three energy bands. The count rate variations in the three energy bands are due in various degrees to thorium, uranium, potassium, iron and titanium. The mapping which results from the gamma-ray count rates has an effective resolution of about two degrees. Regions of high titanium content in certain maria, the low values of iron in a zone of the central equatorial highland and the relatively low value of iron near Archimedes are noted.

Arnold, J. R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Enterprise Mission Integration for Artemis Lunar Missions

Mission integration is an iterative process by which a specific mission is formulated, refined, planned, and executed within the established vehicle(s), architecture, and ground systems design. Mission integration includes the people, vehicle(s) and ground hardware/software, products, processes, analyses, schedules, facilities, Certification of Flight Readiness, etc. The Artemis Mission Integration Task Team (MITT) developed a series of products and processes to support the complex mission integration across various Programs within the Artemis Mission Campaign (Orion, Space Launch Systems, Exploration Ground Systems, Gateway, Human Landing System, and Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility). The Moon to Mars (M2M) Program is referred to as ‘the enterprise’ as it includes both the M2M organization and the Programs supporting the Artemis Mission Campaign. Artemis Mission Integration has five phases: mission capability, mission definition, mission preparation, mission execution, and post-mission assessment. This paper focuses on one of the enterprise-level mission checkpoints as a kick-off to the Mission Preparation phase, the Mission Integration Review (MIR), which occurs 18-24 months prior to launch. The MIR helps to confirm the defined mission technical baseline is within the existing analyzed design envelope. Details are provided on the identification of dependencies, issues, or gaps for mission-specific objectives and requirements, as well as the definition of the analysis, training, mission execution products, facilities, and detailed supporting operations requirements. The MIR was held for both Artemis I and II and this paper aims to share with the aerospace community its value as we prepare for upcoming Artemis Missions.

Mary Anne Plaza↗
NASA NTRS1992

Lunar oxygen - The reduction of glass by hydrogen

The direct reduction of volcanic glass by hydrogen has been proposed as a method of extracting oxygen from the lunar soil. Experiments using lunar simulant glasses reacted with flowing hydrogen gas have demonstrated reduction at temperatures from 1000 to 1200 C. For melted samples ferrous iron was reduced to the metal, which formed large crystals at the expense of the glass. Samples held below the melting point rapidly devitrified, and iron was formed from submicrometer crystals of ilmenite and pyroxene. Weight losses of 3.6 - 4.5 percent, depending on glass composition, were achieved in 3 hours at 1100 C. A lunar oxygen plant operating at this efficiency and utilizing Apollo 17 orange glass as a feedstock could produce 50 kg of oxygen per ton of soil. The processes of reduction and sintering of lunar soil are synergistic, and could be combined to produce both oxygen and construction material at a moon base.

Allen, Carlton C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Coarsening Up: Expanding the Particle Size Distributions of Lunar Simulants to Encompass A Comprehensive Range of Regolith Granularity

Due to a paucity of lunar regolith samples, simulated granular materials (simulants) have been developed and deployed for a variety of engineering and research purposes in an attempt to meet the requirements for lunar exploration. Broadly speaking, these manufactured materials aim to replicate the compositional (i.e., mineralogy and chemistry) and physical (e.g., particle size distribution, particle shape) profiles of lunar soil samples collected during the Apollo missions. While creating a “near-perfect” lunar simulant is prohibitive due to the unique formative processes (i.e., meteorite impacts, solar wind implantation) and conditions (anhydrous, reducing environment and exposure to radiation on the surface over billions of years) encountered on the moon, certain granular properties of the regolith can be recreated with a high level of fidelity by leveraging contemporary technologies. A fundamental physical property and descriptor, grain size can be correlated between samples and replicated through processing; however, a holistic understanding of the particle size distribution of lunar regolith must be considered when creating analog materials. This study produces particle size distributions for Apollo 16 returned samples, incorporating the sieved out >1 cm coarse-grained fraction, in order to provide a more comprehensive characterization of surficial lunar regolith grain sizes for the development of highlands-type granular analog testing materials.

R. N. Kovtun↗
NASA NTRS1972

Iron-titanium-chromite, a possible new carrier of remanent magnetization in lunar rocks.

Magnetic measurements of synthetic titanchromites reveal a characteristic transition at low temperature, making it possible to identify the presence of titanchromites in lunar rocks 12063, 14321 (dark clasts), and 14310. It is shown that titanchromites with a high chromium content could be the carriers of intermediate stability natural remanent magnetization observed in lunar rocks. Such natural remanent magnetization is acquired by transition thermoremanent magnetization at low temperature and cannot be duplicated by laboratory thermoremanent magnetization imparted above room temperature. The latter process will not yield the correct lunar paleointensity.

Banerjee, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The Alhazen to Abul Wafa swirl belt: An extensive field of light colored, sinuous markings, part T

Problematic causes and characteristics of light colored sinuous markings on the lunar surface are explored. Two processes, exogenetic and endogenetic, are examined in detailed. During the endogenetic process it is suggested that impact ejecta deposition and surface disturbances cause the markings. During the endogenetic process, it is suggested that extrusive volcanism and sublimation and/or alteration cause the markings.

El-Baz, F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Volatile elements in Apollo 16 samples - Possible evidence for outgassing of the moon.

Several Apollo 16 breccias, including one containing goethite, are strikingly enriched in volatile elements such as bromine, cadmium, germanium, antimony, thallium, and zinc. Similar but smaller enrichments are found in all highland soils. It appears that volcanic processes took place in the lunar highlands, involving the release of volatiles including water. The lunar thallium/uranium ratio is .0002 of the cosmic ratio, which suggests that the moon's original water content could not have exceeded the equivalent of a layer 22 meters deep. The cataclastic anorthosites at the Apollo 16 site may represent deep ejecta from the Nectaris basin.

Krahenbuhl, U.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Radio astronomy Explorer-B in-flight mission control system development effort

A description is given of the development for the Mission Analysis Evaluation and Space Trajectory Operations (MAESTRO) program to be used for the in-flight decision making process during the translunar and lunar orbit adjustment phases of the flight of the Radio Astronomy Explorer-B. THe program serves two functions: performance and evaluation of preflight mission analysis, and in-flight support for the midcourse and lunar insertion command decisions that must be made by the flight director. The topics discussed include: analysis of program and midcourse guidance capabilities; methods for on-line control; printed displays of the MAESTRO program; and in-flight operational logistics and testing.

Lutsky, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Capture of planetesimals into a circumterrestrial swarm

The lunar origin model considered involves processing of protolunar material through a circumterrestrial swarm of particles. Once such a swarm has formed, it can gain mass by capturing infalling planetesimals and ejecta from giant impacts on the Earth, although the angular momentum supply from these sources remains a problem. Examined is the first stage of formation of a geocentric swarm by capture of planetesimals from initialy heliocentric orbits. The only plausible capture mechanism that is not dependent on very low approach velocities is the mutual collision of planetesimals passing within Earth's sphere of influence. This capture scenario was tested directly by many body numerical integration of planetesimal orbits in near Earth space. Results agree that the systematic contribution of angular momentum is insufficient to maintain an orbiting swarm under heavy bombardment. Thus, a circumterrestrial swarm can be formed rather easily, but is hard to sustain because the mean net angular momentum of a many body swarm is small.

Weidenschilling, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Products from lunar anorthite

Lunar anorthositic soil can be processed to produce oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and calcium. A process scheme starting with the beneficiation of the ore by magnetic separation and yielding the pure products is being developed. Simplifications in the process are possible if requirements regarding product purity and separation may be relaxed.

Anthony, Donald L.↗