Academia.eduAcademia.edu

Outline

Title
Abstract
FAQs
Introduction
Conclusions and Future Plans
References
All Topics
Engineering

Lunar analogue facilities development at EAC: the LUNA project

Profile image of Marthe FaberMarthe Faber

2020, Journal of Space Safety Engineering

https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSSE.2020.05.002
visibility

…

description

9 pages

link

1 file

Abstract

In view of the future missions to the Moon and in the framework of the Moon Village vision, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) are increasingly focused on activities leading from LEO human spaceflight to planetary exploration. A new era of coordinated human and robotic exploration is expected to begin with the construction of the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-G), which will lead to a return of humans to the lunar surface. In this context, the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) and DLR, co-situated in Cologne, Germany, are preparing themselves for future human exploration by conducting Earth-based analogue and preparatory activities. We focus herein on LUNA a novel lunar analogue facility that is currently under development at the Cologne campus which will complement existing campus analogue facilities such as Environmental Habitat (:envihab) and the Neutral Buoyancy Facility (NBF). LUNA includes an artificial lunar analogue facility that consists of a hall-type structure containing a regolith testbed. A large volume regolith simulant, EAC-1, will be used to recreate facsimile of a lunar terrain, while illumination conditions can be varied to recreate different Moon conditions. Adjacent to the LUNA hall is the habitation module and Future Lunar EXploration Habitat (FLEXHab), hosting up to 4 crewmembers for 1-day missions, and providing direct access to LUNA. It is planned that the FLEXHab will utilize the energy module, a stand-alone power system built around hydrogen technology (fuel cells, electrolyzer, batteries and photovoltaics) for its energy supply. Strong synergies can be built with current analogue facilities at DLR :envihab and the NBF. For example, the DLR :envihab provides an infrastructure in which astronauts can sleep, eat and work under environmentally controlled conditions, even possibly under isolation. Within the LUNA testbed, specific mission scenarios can be simulated for astronaut training, including testing of geological/seismic regolith characterization techniques, In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies, development of mining methods, rock formation mapping and storage, methods of biological and chemical analysis of soil samples, telerobotics, and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) preparation. The LUNA facility will be a flexible, evolvable, and unique exploration enabling asset to address the hurdles posed by future human and robotic exploration. Moreover, external partners such as research centres, universities, and private companies will be welcome to use the facilities and propose their own experiments on a low barrier for entry basis. The full operational capability of LUNA (hall, FLEXHab and energy module) is expected for 2021.

FAQs

sparkles

AI

What are the unique features of the LUNA analogue facility?add

The LUNA facility incorporates a 750 m² lunar test bed and controllable environments, allowing simulations of lunar conditions for both human and robotic exploration. Its design facilitates complex, integrated tests and easier logistics compared to natural analogues.

How does the LUNA project support lunar exploration collaborations?add

LUNA aims to attract diverse partnerships, fostering innovation by allowing non-space entities to contribute to lunar exploration technologies. This collaboration is facilitated by integrating with existing facilities like EAC and DLR for shared expertise.

What types of experiments can FLEXHab accommodate?add

FLEXHab hosts variably designed compartments for payloads, life support experiments, and dust mitigation techniques, supporting both single and multi-day simulations. Its flexible design includes an Environmental Control and Life Support System to simulate lunar habitats.

How does LUNA enhance astronaut training and preparation?add

The facility's capabilities allow for the simulation of 1/6 g lunar gravity for astronaut training, including scenarios for crew medical emergencies. The incorporation of EVA suit preparation and rescue operation simulations enhances readiness for lunar missions.

What materials are used for simulating lunar regolith at LUNA?add

LUNA utilizes EAC-1A, a basaltic rock ground to simulate lunar regolith, sourced from the Eifel region. Approximately 700 tonnes of this simulant will enable realistic testing of surface operations and geological analyses.

Related papers

Lunar Surface Operation Testbed (LSOT)
Mohammad Mojarradi

2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2012

This paper describes a high fidelity mission concept systems testbed at JPL, called Lunar Surface Operations Testbed (LSOT). LSOT provides a unique infrastructure that enables mission concept studies designers to configure and demonstrate end-to-end surface operations using existing JPL mission operations and ground support tools, Lander, robotic arm, stereo cameras, flight software, and soil simulant (regolith), in a high fidelity functional testbed. This paper will describe how LSOT was used to support the MoonRise mission concept study. MoonRise: Lunar South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return Mission would place a lander in a broad basin near the moon's South Pole and return approximately two pounds of lunar materials to Earth for study. MoonRise was one of three candidate missions competing to be selected as the third mission for NASA's New Frontiers Program of Solar System Explorations. LSOT was used to demonstrate JPL's extensive experience and understanding of the MoonRise Lander capabilities, design maturity, surface operations systems engineering issues, risks and challenges.

View PDFchevron_right
AMORE - Mission concept overview for a progressively independent and self-sustainable lunar habitat
Michail Magkos, abhishek anil

4th Symposium on Space Educational Activities

Throughout the last decade a renewed interest for lunar space exploration has been expressed through the announcements of many ambitious missions such as Artemis. Annually the Space Station Design Workshop (SSDW) tasks students and young professionals to design a space station concept in a con-current engineering environment. In line with the elevated interest on the Moon this year's SSDW was centred around a self-sustainable lunar habitat. This paper presents the conceptual design of Team Blue at the SSDW 2021. Advanced Moon Operations and Resource Extraction (AMORE) is conceptu-alized as a public-private cooperation for the creation of a lunar platform that acts as an outpost for human exploration and robotic In-situ Resources Utilization (ISRU). AMORE’s proposed location is near the rim of Shackleton Crater at the Lunar South Pole. This location provides opportunities in science and ISRU and favourable sun coverage and thermal conditions. The terrain offers a natural shield f...

View PDFchevron_right
Lunar Base Development Issues, Technology Requirements, and Research Needs
Peter Eckart

2000

The development, design, and construction of a lunar base will be an extremely complex technical task. It will be even more challenging to set up the funding scheme and the international cooperative structures that will be required to establish humankind's first outpost on another planetary body. This paper provides a summary of development issues, technology requirements, and research needs of a lunar base program. Non-technical aspects covered include the rationale for installing a lunar base, financing, cost, management, and legal issues, as well as general development aspects. Technical aspects discussed include the impact of the lunar environment on base design and development, Earth-Moon transportation, and site selection. The specific requirements of habitat design, thermal control, power supply, life support, communications, lunar surface transportation, extra-vehicular activities, and in-situ resources utilization are discussed, as well as logistics, cost, and modeling aspects. Also, it is outlined that a lunar base may very well serve as a testbed for technologies required for human Mars missions. The contents of this paper are based on countless lunar base-related studies that have been conducted in the past four decades and The Lunar Base Handbook that has been published recently and is also introduced here.

View PDFchevron_right
Progress Made in Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization under NASA’s Exploration Technology and Development Program
Gerald Sanders

Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2013

Incorporation of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and the production of mission critical consumables for 9 propulsion, power, and life support into mission architectures can greatly reduce the mass, cost, and risk of missions 10 leading to a sustainable and affordable approach to human exploration beyond Earth. ISRU and its products can 11 also greatly affect how other exploration systems are developed, including determining which technologies are 12 important or enabling. While the concept of lunar ISRU has existed for over 40 years, the technologies and systems 13 had not progressed much past simple laboratory proof-of-concept tests. With the release of the Vision for Space 14 Exploration in 2004 with the goal of harnessing the Moon"s resources, NASA initiated the ISRU Project in the 15 Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) to develop the technologies and systems needed to meet 16 this goal. In the five years of work in the ISRU Project, significant advancements and accomplishments occurred in 17 several important areas of lunar ISRU. Also, two analog field tests held in Hawaii in 2008 and 2010 demonstrated 18 all the steps in ISRU capabilities required along with the integration of ISRU products and hardware with 19 propulsion, power, and cryogenic storage systems. This paper will review the scope of the ISRU Project in the 20 ETDP, ISRU incorporation and development strategies utilized by the ISRU Project, and ISRU development and 21 test accomplishments over the five years of funded project activity.

View PDFchevron_right
The ESA Lunar Lander Mission
Bruno Gardini

AIAA SPACE 2011 Conference & Exposition, 2011

The European Lunar Lander mission, targeted for launch in 2018 and a landing near the Moon's South Pole, shall demonstrate critical technologies associated with planetary landing and shall prove Europe's ability to land safely and precisely. The mission will also provide an opportunity to conduct experiments and investigations on the Lunar surface of relevance for future human exploration. The mission design avoids the use of radio-isotope devices, instead exploiting potential favourable locations near the Lunar South Pole which offer near-continuous solar illumination for several months at a time. However targeting such favourable locations imposes important challenges on the precision of the landing and on the necessary hazard avoidance capability. The mission is currently in Phase B1 which shall run up to mid 2012 and which includes both mission and system definition and design, as well as an important element of hardware breadboarding and testing. An important intermediate milestone is the Polar Landing Review in early 2011 at which the system design was reviewed and compared against the latest available surface topographic information, currently being acquired by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This paper provides an overview of the mission, its objectives, key technical challenges and the baseline configuration arising from the Polar Landing Review. It also provides a description of the ongoing and planned technology activities carried out as part of the Phase B1 and other relevant ESA activities.

View PDFchevron_right
Report of The Lunar Base Working Group
Wendell Mendell

1984

Workshop attendees generally believe that a lunar base goal has a high enough potential payoff that it should be adopted by NASA in the near future. Potential gains include new possibilities for scientific investigation, utilization of the natural resources of the moon to benefit lunar and space operations, and development of a long-term capability for human self-sufficiency on another planet. To reduce the risk that near-term decisions will be made that result in future difficulties or additional unnecessary costs to a lunar base program, we must consider near-term development issues, such as the Space Station and the orbital transfer vehicle technology, in light of their potential application to a lunar base program. The lunar base program is envisioned as being less of a technological challenge and less expensive annually than Apollo was.

View PDFchevron_right
Lunar Development and Exploration: A Simple, Long Lasting and Functionally Adaptable Architecture
Donald C Barker

The paper presents the development of a space architecture designed to support long-term exploration and the permanent habitation of the surface of the moon. Additionally, through the development of judicious, efficient and adaptable systems, this architecture will directly support future Mars exploration efforts. The concept presented herein establishes a functionally simple and reusable inter-lunar cargo transfer infrastructure. A team of graduate architecture students at the University of Houston’s Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) have, during a two semester period, been researching and designing the proposed exploration architecture based on the newly ascribed space exploration initiative and the evident need for adaptable, flexible and long term program architectures. This work examines a single methodology built upon a review of current, historical and functional assemblages of vehicles combined with the goal of establishing a long lasting and adapt...

View PDFchevron_right
Operational Lessons Learnt From The 2013 Ilewg Euromoonmars-B Analogue Campaign For Future Habitat Operations On The Moon And Mars
I. Schlacht

2016

This paper discusses operational lessons learnt from the 2013 Euro\-Moon\-Mars-B (MDRS crew 125) analogue campaign for future habitat operations on the Moon and Mars. The two-week campaign conducted a series of geologic, technological, operational, and human factors research toward the goals of the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG). The results from those operations provide recommendations for future crewed expeditions for increasing the science return based on improved resource allocation and crew habitation.<br>

View PDFchevron_right
German Aerospace Center – Program Space Lunar Exploration Roadmap
Armin Wedler

2019

View PDFchevron_right
Preparing for the Lunar Space Settlement
Soumya Shaw, Shubham Yadav, Waseah Anjum, Mohith W

International Space Challenge, 2020

Space exploration is one of mankind's significant undertakings. Over the years, humans have consummated several missions to space with the aim to not only learn about the evolution of life on Earth but also on other celestial bodies. Experiments have been conducted in space aboard the ISS as well as on Earth to investigate the different aspects of evolution of life along with alternative destinations that may hold prospects for life sustenance. The Moon has been under the radar for decades now and many countries have sent satellites and rovers to study its topography and composition. Current work focuses on a rover design with given design specifications and scientific tasks including detection of Helium-3 and Platinum metal and gauging the Moon's magnetic field. Helium-3 is known to be a highly efficient fuel which is found in abundance under the regolith. With ever-increasing need for efficient and non-polluting means of fuel utilization, probing the Moon Helium-3 is the need of the hour. Additionally, with the deteriorating ores on Earth, it has become imperative to look for other options to mine Platinum. The rover consists of different components that are required for satellite communication, drilling, test and analysis of samples on the Moon. The estimates of platinum concentration are corroborated using simulation that was done using Python programming to design a concentration mapping of the Moon's surface. The project results include providing a rover design that is capable of successfully performing tasks on the Moon.

View PDFchevron_right

References (60)

  1. The White House, Remarks by Vice President Pence at the Fifth Meeting of the National Space Council | Huntsville, AL, (2019). https://www.whitehouse.gov/ briefings-statements/remarks-vice-president-pence-fifth-meeting-national-space- council-huntsville-al/ (accessed July 9, 2019).
  2. B. Inclán, NASA Administrator Statement on Return to Moon in Next Five Years, NASA. (2019). https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-administrator-statement- on-return-to-moon-in-next-five-years (accessed July 9, 2019).
  3. ISECG, The Global Exploration Roadmap, 2018. https://www. globalspaceexploration.org/wordpress/wp-content/isecg/GER_2018_small_mobile. pdf .
  4. J.-D. 'Jan' Wörner, Moon Village: a vision for global cooperation and Space 4.0, ESA. (2016). http://blogs.esa.int/janwoerner/2016/11/23/moon-village/ (ac- cessed February 25, 2017).
  5. D. Binns , M. Landgraf , M.-C. Contino , H. Lakk , F. Tonicello , E. Sefton-Nash , V. Reggestad , L. Pambaguian , M. Schmidt , W. Carey , A. Makaya , D. Perigo , P. Messina , C. Haignere , Review and analysis of (European) building blocks for a future Moon Village, 68th Int. Astronaut. Congr., IAF, AdelaideAustralia, 2017 .
  6. ESA, Human spaceflight and robotic exploration programmes, ESA. (2016). https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Ministerial_Council_2016/Human_Spaceflight_and_ Robotic_Exploration_Programmes (accessed August 21, 2019).
  7. ESA, Space 19 + , ESA. (2019). http://blogs.esa.int/space19plus/ (accessed August 21, 2019).
  8. G.R. Osinski , R. Léveillé, A. Berinstain , M. Lebeuf , M. Bamsey , Terrestrial analogues to Mars and the Moon: Canada's role, Geosci 33 (2006) 175-188 .
  9. R. Léveillé, A half-century of terrestrial analog studies: From craters on the Moon to searching for life on Mars, Planet. Space Sci. 58 (2010) 631-638, doi: 10.1016/j.pss.2009.04.001 .
  10. K. Mars, B. Dunbar, About analog missions, NASA. (2019). https://www. nasa.gov/analogs/what-are-analog-missions (accessed August 19, 2019).
  11. T. Hoppenbrouwers, D. Urbina, A. Boyd, B. Imhof, S. Mohanty, P. Weiss, A. Diek- mann, Analogues for preparing robotic and human exploration on the Moon, in: SpaceOps Conf., AIAA, DaejeonKorea, 2016, doi: 10.2514/6.2016-2353 .
  12. L. Zuccarelli, L. Galasso, R. Turner, E.J.B. Coffey, L. Bessone, G. Strapazzon, Hu- man Physiology During Exposure to the Cave Environment: A Systematic Re- view With Implications for Aerospace Medicine, Front. Physiol. 10 (2019) 442, doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00442 .
  13. J.I. Pagel, A. Choukèr, Effects of isolation and confinement on humans-implications for manned space explorations, J, Appl. Physiol. 120 (2016) 1449-1457, doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00928.2015 .
  14. ESA, Mars 500 isolation study: Information Kit, 2011. http:// esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/Mars500/ESA_Mars_500InfoKit_31May2010.pdf .
  15. ESA, Mars-500: study overview, ESA. (2012). https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/ Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Mars500/Mars500_study_overview (accessed July 9, 2019).
  16. E. Feichtinger, R. Charles, D. Urbina, P. Sundblad, C. Fuglesang, M. Zell, Mars-500 - A testbed for psychological crew support during future human exploration missions, IEEE Aerosp. Conf. Proc. (2012) 1-17, doi: 10.1109/AERO.2012.6187396 .
  17. C. Tafforin, The Mars-500 crew in daily life activities: An ethological study, Acta Astronaut 91 (2013) 69-76, doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.05.001 .
  18. P. Schwendner, Microbial ecology of the Mars-500 habitat, Universität Regensburg, 2014.
  19. I.B. Ushakov, M.B. Vladimirovich, Y.A. Bubeev, V.I. Gushin, G.Y. Vasil'eva, A.G. Vinokhodova, D.M. Shved, Main findings of psychophysiological stud- ies in the Mars 500 experiment, Her. Russ. Acad. Sci. 84 (2014) 106-114, doi: 10.1134/S1019331614020063 .
  20. R. Š ikl, M. Š ime ček, Confinement has no effect on visual space perception: The re- sults of the Mars-500 experiment, Attention, Perception, Psychophys 76 (2014) 438- 451, doi: 10.3758/s13414-013-0594-y .
  21. O. Voloshin, Mars-500 project -Experimental facility, (n.d.). http://mars500.imbp. ru/en/nek.html (accessed May 9, 2019).
  22. K. Mars, B. Dunbar, About HERA, NASA. (2019). https://www.nasa.gov/ analogs/hera/about (accessed August 22, 2019).
  23. S. Loff, B. Dunbar, About NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations), NASA. (2017). https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/about_neemo.html (accessed August 22, 2019).
  24. ESA, What is CAVES?, ESA. (2013). https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_ Robotic_Exploration/Caves/What_is_CAVES (accessed May 10, 2019).
  25. G. Strapazzon, L. Pilo, L. Bessone, M.R. Barratt, CAVES as an envi- ronment for astronaut training, Wilderness Environ. Med. 25 (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2013.12.003 .
  26. L. Bessone, F. Sauro, J. De Waele, Speleology as an analogue to space exploration: five years of astronaut training, testing and operations in the ESA CAVES program, in: 17th Int. Congr. Speleol., Sydney (Australia), 2017.
  27. ESA, What is Pangaea, ESA. (2018). https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_ and_Robotic_Exploration/Caves/What_is_Pangaea (accessed May 10, 2019).
  28. F. Sauro, M. Massironi, R. Pozzobon, L. Bessone, Field geology training for astro- nauts for future mission to the Moon : the new ESA PANGAEA training and testing platform, in: Eur. Lunar Symp., Munster (Germany), 2017.
  29. L. Bessone, F. Sauro, R. Pozzobon, An Electronic Fieldbook supporting data collec- tion and situational awareness during astronauts EVA geologic traverses on the lunar surface, in: Eur. Lunar Symp., Toulouse (France), 2018.
  30. F. Sauro, M. Massironi, R. Pozzobon, H. Hiesinger, N. Mangold, J.M. Frias, C. Cockell, L. Bessone, Training astronauts for field geology: the ESA PANGAEA training and PANGAEA-eXtension testing analogue, in: Lunar Planet. Sci. XLIX, The Woodlands, Texas (US), 2018.
  31. ESA, Concordia: living on white Mars 28 (2013) .
  32. ESA, Concordia, ESA. (2018). https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_ Robotic_Exploration/Concordia (accessed August 22, 2019).
  33. ESA, LUNA facility brings Moon to Earth, ESA. (2018). https://www.esa. int/About_Us/EAC/Luna_facility_brings_Moon_to_Earth (accessed September 2, 2019).
  34. ESA, As above, so below -Lunar rescue device tested underwater, ESA. (2019). http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/As_above_so_ below_lunar_rescue_device_tested_underwater (accessed September 12, 2019).
  35. D. Budzy ń , H. Stevenin , M. Maurer , F. Sauro , L. Bessone , Prototyping of Lunar sur- face geological sampling tools for Moon spacewalk simulations by ESA, 69th Int. Astronaut. Congr., IAF, BremenGermany, 2018 .
  36. ESA, Building a toolkit for the Moon, ESA. (2019). https://www.esa.int/Our_ Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Building_a_toolkit_for_the_Moon (ac- cessed September 10, 2019).
  37. ESA, Spaceship EAC heading for the Moon, (2016). http://www.esa.int/ spaceinvideos/Videos/2016/02/SpaceShip_EAC_heading_for_the_Moon (accessed March 16, 2016).
  38. ESA, European researchers invited to board "Spaceship EAC, " (2016). http://www. esa.int/About_Us/EAC/European_researchers_invited_to_board_Spaceship_EAC (ac- cessed March 16, 2016).
  39. A. Cowley , A. Diekmann , S. Coene , V. Nash , S. Cristoforetti , Human lunar explo- ration at EAC -the LUNA analogue facility and the Spaceship EAC project, 68th Int. Astronaut. Congr., IAF, AdelaideAustralia, 2017 .
  40. DLR,:envihab -Future Research for Space and Earth, DLR. (2013). https://www. dlr.de/envihab/en/desktopdefault.aspx (accessed August 27, 2019).
  41. DLR,:envihab Fact Sheet -Research Facilities, Cologne (Germany), 2013.
  42. DLR,:envihab Booklet, Cologne (Germany), 2013.
  43. T. Mueller , F. Nicolini , P. Mittler , LUNA -Considerations for an European Ground Segment for ESA's and DLR's Test Bed for Exploration, 70th Int. Astronaut. Congr., IAF, Washington, DCUS, 2019 .
  44. M. Thallner , S. Häuplik-Meusburger , A. Cowley , FLEXHab working module -Archi- tectural requirements and prototyping for a lunar base analogue, 69th Int. Astronaut. Congr., IAF, BremenGermany, 2018 .
  45. DLR, EDEM ISS -Ground demonstration of plant cultivation technologies for safe food production in space, DLR. (2018). https://eden-iss.net/ (accessed September 26, 2019).
  46. A.E.M. Casini, P. Maggiore, N. Viola, V. Basso, M. Ferrino, J.A. Hoff- man, A. Cowley, Analysis of a Moon outpost for Mars enabling technologies through a Virtual Reality environment, Acta Astronaut 143 (2018) 353-361, doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.11.023 .
  47. DLR Institute of Space Systems, Landing and Mobility Test Facility (LAMA), DLR. (2009). https://www.dlr.de/irs/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-11071/#gallery/ 29933 (accessed May 4, 2020).
  48. Facilitators Team, Facilities for testing orbital and surface robotics, 2018.
  49. NASA, NASA Robotic Mining Competition -Rules and rubrics, Merritt Island, Flori- daUS, 2016 .
  50. NASA, SLOPE Laboratory, NASA. (2018). https://www.nasa.gov/specials/slope360/# (accessed May 6, 2020).
  51. Thales Group, Thales Alenia Space, ALTEC, the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency inaugurated the ExoMars 2020 Rover Operations Control Centre, Thales Gr. (2019). https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/ press-release/thales-alenia-space-altec-italian-space-agency-and-european-space (accessed May 6, 2020).
  52. A.S. García, T. Fernando, D.J. Roberts, C. Bar, M. Cencetti, W. Engelke, A. Gerndt, Collaborative virtual reality platform for visualizing space data and mission planning, Multimed. Tools Appl. 78 (2019) 33191-33220, doi: 10.1007/s11042-019-7736-8 .
  53. JAXA, Space Exploration Experiment Building, JAXA. (2018). http://www. ihub-tansa.jaxa.jp/afse.html (accessed May 6, 2020).
  54. N. Sünderhauf, P. Neubert, M. Truschzinski, D. Wunschel, J. Pöschmann, S. Lange, P. Protzel, Phobos and Deimos on Mars -Two autonomous robots for the DLR SpaceBot Cup, in: 12th Int. Symp. Artif. Intell. Robot. Autom. Sp., Montréal (Canada), 2014.
  55. Space Robotics Group, Facilities, Univ. Toronto Inst. Aerosp. Stud. (2013). http://sr.utias.utoronto.ca/index.php/facilities (accessed May 6, 2020).
  56. V.S. Engelschiøn, S.R. Eriksson, A. Cowley, M. Fateri, A. Meurisse, U. Kueppers, M. Sperl, EAC-1A: A novel large-volume lunar regolith simulant, Sci. Rep. 10 (2020) 5473 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62312-4 .
  57. ESA, Sample Analogue Curation Facility (SACF), ESA. (2018). https://sacf.esa.int/ (accessed September 11, 2019).
  58. ESA, About PROSPECT, ESA. (2017). http://exploration.esa.int/moon/59102-about- prospect/ (accessed August 23, 2019).
  59. L. Schlüter, A. Cowley, Review of Techniques for In-Situ Oxygen Extraction on the Moon, Planet. Space Sci. 104753 (2019), doi: 10.1016/J.PSS.2019.104753 .
  60. L. Thiébaut, A. Cowley, Microwave processing of regolith -a 1D-printing cavity for enabling lunar construction technology, in: 8th Eur. Conf. Aeronaut. Sp. Sci., Madrid (Spain), 2019: p. 13.

Related papers

LUME (LUnar Mission for Exploration): A New ASI Proposal for Lunar Exploration and In Situ Resource Utilization
Urbano Tancredi

1 st Space …, 2005

A novel ASI Lunar mission is here proposed by a task force of Ph.D. students. After 14 th January 2004 president G.W Bush's speech, a new input to space human exploration has been given. The Moon, thanks to nearness to Earth, is identified as an important test bed for all future human missions. The task force LUME mission has been designed to fit with Italian technological capabilities leaving it open anyway for international cooperation. Three main module are foreseen: a lunar low altitude polar orbiter, a lander near the "peak of the eternal light" and a rover. The polar orbiter is equipped with a complete suite of experiments for remote sensing observation (high resolution color camera, VIS-NIR imaging spectrometer, neutron and X spectrometers and SAR radar). This will provide a lunar surface map in high spatial resolution at different wavelengths: the orbiter payload will be used both to refine the selection of the landing site and to support the rover navigation. The lander will reach the region of "peak of the eternal light", located in the South Pole-Aitken

View PDFchevron_right
LUME: A new ASI proposal for Lunar Exploration and In Situ Resource Utilization
Matteo Toller

1st Space Exploration Conference: Continuing the Voyage of Discovery, 2005

A novel ASI Lunar mission is here proposed by a task force of Ph.D. students. After 14 th January 2004 president G.W Bush's speech, a new input to space human exploration has been given. The Moon, thanks to nearness to Earth, is identified as an important test bed for all future human missions. The task force LUME mission has been designed to fit with Italian technological capabilities leaving it open anyway for international cooperation. Three main module are foreseen: a lunar low altitude polar orbiter, a lander near the "peak of the eternal light" and a rover. The polar orbiter is equipped with a complete suite of experiments for remote sensing observation (high resolution color camera, VIS-NIR imaging spectrometer, neutron and X spectrometers and SAR radar). This will provide a lunar surface map in high spatial resolution at different wavelengths: the orbiter payload will be used both to refine the selection of the landing site and to support the rover navigation. The lander will reach the region of "peak of the eternal light", located in the South Pole-Aitken

View PDFchevron_right
Earth-Based Analogs of Lunar and Planetary Facilities
G. Trotti

1988

Antarctica contains areas where the envtronment and temlin are more similar to regtons on the Moon and Mars than any other place on F.artb. 1bese features offer opportunities for simulations to determine peifonnance capabilities of people and machines in harsh, isolated locales. 1be Sasakawa International Center for space Architecture (S/CTA) plans to create a facility on Antarctica for research, planning, and demonstrations in suJPorl of planetary exploration. 1be Antarctic Pfanetary Testbed (APT) will be financed and utilized by pubHc and private organizations throughout the world F.stablisbed on a continent owned by no country, it can seroe as a model for cooperation between spacefarlng nations. APT science and technology programs will expand knowledge about the nature and origin of our solar system, and will suf1X»1 preparations for human settlements beyond F.artb that ""'i)' occur within the first quarter of the next century. 1be initial APT facUity, conceived to be operational by the year 1992, will be constructed during the summer months by a crew of approximately 12. Six to eight of these people will remain through the winter. As in space, structures and equipment systems will be modular to facilitate efficient transport to the site, assembly, and evolutionary expansion. State-ofthe.arl waste recovery/recycling systems are also emphasized due to their importance in space.

View PDFchevron_right
ALCIDES: A novel lunar mission concept study for the demonstration of enabling technologies in deep-space exploration and human-robots interaction
Sebastian Hettrich

Acta Astronautica, 2018

Returning to the Moon has kept gaining interest lately in the scientific community as a mandatory step for answering a cohort of key scientific questions. This paper presents a novel Lunar mission design to demonstrate enabling technologies for deep-space exploration, in accordance with the Global Exploration Roadmap and the National Research Council. This mission, named ALCIDES, takes advantage of some of the systems that are currently under development as a part of the HERACLES exploration architecture: these include the Orion module, the Space Exploration Vehicle, the Boeing Reusable Lander, the Ariane 6, the Falcon Heavy, the Space Launch System, as well as the Evolvable Deep-Space Habitat placed in EML2. A consistent part of the efforts in designing the ALCIDES mission accounts for innovative exploration scenarios: by analysing state of the art in robotics and planetary exploration, we introduce a mission architecture in which robots and humans collaborate to achieve several tasks, both autonomously and through cooperation. During this mission, high-performance mobility, extravehicular activity and habitation capabilities would be carried out and implemented. This project aims to demonstrate the human capability to live and work in the Lunar environment through the development of a long-term platform. We selected the Amundsen-Ganswindt basin as the landing site for multiple reasons: the possible presence of permanently shadowed regions, its position within the South Pole and its proximity to the Schrödinger basin. The main objectives of the ALCIDES mission are to study the Lunar cold trap volatiles, to gain understanding of the Lunar highlands geology through sampling and in-situ measurements and to study Human-Robotic interactions. In addition, factors such as psychology, legal issues and outreach regarding this mission were also considered. In particular, four traverses connecting the Amundsen crater with the Schrödinger basin were proposed, three of which to be performed by a tele-operated rover, and the remaining one to be carried out by a human crew with rover assistance. During these traverses, the rover will collect samples from several points of interest as well as perform insitu measurements with a suite of instruments on board, helping to locate a convenient place for future human habitation. The ALCIDES mission results will help the scientific community to better understand the Moon and to take advantage of its resources for future space exploration. Gaining this knowledge will allow us to move forward in the development of systems and capabilities for manned missions to Mars and beyond.

View PDFchevron_right
Luna Gaia: a closed loop habitat for the Moon
Sarah Jane Pell

2006

Luna Gaia posits a pathway towards new technologies, philosophies, systems applications and infrastructure aimed at achieving a closed loop habitat model for human settlement on the Moon. This report makes recommendations pertaining to the systems architecture, engineering processes, and the research, development and orchestration of separate phased precursor missions which will be required to achieve this vision by the year 2030. The framework that we propose is designed to support an ideal profile of an optimum 11 (maximum 12) member human crew on the lunar surface for a period of 18 - 36 months. The Luna Gaia design solutions focus on the coupling power for all regenerative processes of a network of closed loop life support. Using proven and innovative solutions that produce relatively independent and highly reliable cycles of oxygen, water, energy, food growth and waste processing, the modular, hybrid bio- regenerative network of systems particular to the Luna Gaia design architecture is ambitious but feasible. This report also details ethical and philosophical considerations of lunar settlement and the wider implications for international law, policy and future interplanetary social governance. The authors intend to evolve the current status of thought and practice on these issues to consider new and responsible configurations of resource assets - on Earth and the Moon - and to inspire the will and confidence necessary to propel humanity, and its technology, towards the next frontier of lunar settlement. The management principles are sound, the Earth-based applications are considered and the legal frameworks have been clearly defined. Certain risks are apparent but there are significant opportunities and benefits which will occur. More importantly, the project vision is consistent with the preservation of life and responsible evolution into the solar system. We appeal to interested agencies and research organizations to support the Luna Gaia Vision and to encourage author participation in advancing these mission studies. Luna Gaia affirms our commitment to global participation in the extension of human presence on the Moon, and beyond...

View PDFchevron_right

Related topics

  • Engineering

    • Cited by

    Using Virtual Reality to Design and Evaluate a Lunar Lander: The EL3 Case Study
    Flavie Rometsch

    2022

    The European Large Logistics Lander (EL3) is being designed to carry out cargo delivery missions in support of future lunar ground crews. The capacity of virtual reality (VR) to visualize and interactively simulate the unique lunar environment makes it a potentially powerful design tool during the early development stages of such solutions. Based on input from the EL3 development team, we have produced a VR-based operational scenario featuring a hypothetical configuration of the lander. Relying on HCI research methods, we have subsequently evaluated this scenario with relevant experts (n=10). Qualitative findings from this initial pilot study have demonstrated the usefulness of VR as a design tool in this context, but likewise surfaced a number of limitations in the form of potentially impaired validity and generalizability. We conclude by outlining our future research plan and reflect on the potential use of physical stimuli to improve the validity of VR-based simulations in forthcoming design activities.

    View PDFchevron_right
    Using Virtual Reality to Shape Humanity’s Return to the Moon: Key Takeaways from a Design Study
    Tommy Nilsson

    Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2023

    Revived interest in lunar exploration is heralding a new generation of design solutions in support of human operations on the Moon. While space system design has traditionally been guided by prototype deployments in analogue studies, the resource-intensive nature of this approach has largely precluded application of proficient user-centered design (UCD) methods from human-computer interaction (HCI). This paper explores possible use of Virtual Reality (VR) to simulate analogue studies in lab settings and thereby bring to bear UCD in this otherwise engineering-dominated field. Drawing on the ongoing development of the European Large Logistics Lander, we have recreated a prospective lunar operational scenario in VR and evaluated it with a group of astronauts and space experts (n=20). Our qualitative findings demonstrate the efficacy of VR in facilitating UCD, enabling efficient contextual inquiries and improving project team coordination. We conclude by proposing future directions to further exploit VR in lunar systems design.

    View PDFchevron_right
    Augmented Reality in Service of Human Operations on the Moon: Insights from a Virtual Testbed
    Tommy Nilsson

    Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

    Future astronauts living and working on the Moon will face extreme environmental conditions impeding their operational safety and performance. While it has been suggested that Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Up Displays (HUDs) could potentially help mitigate some of these adversities, the applicability of AR in the unique lunar context remains underexplored. To address this limitation, we have produced an accurate representation of the lunar setting in virtual reality (VR) which then formed our testbed for the exploration of prospective operational scenarios with aerospace experts. Herein we present findings based on qualitative reflections made by the first 6 study participants. AR was found instrumental in several use cases, including the support of navigation and risk awareness. Major design challenges were likewise identified, including the importance of redundancy and contextual appropriateness. Drawing on these findings, we conclude by outlining directions for future research aimed at developing AR-based assistive solutions tailored to the lunar setting.

    View PDFchevron_right
    580 California St., Suite 400
    San Francisco, CA, 94104
    © 2025 Academia. All rights reserved