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Lunar Lava Tube Exploration

Lunar Lava Tube Exploration

Lava tubes on the Moon represent an enticing location for establishing lunar habitats. In addition to providing protection from radiation and meteorites, lunar lava tubes have a stable temperature range compared to surface conditions. These characteristics will allow the building of safe, yet economical habitats in lava tubes. However, we must first explore and categorize lava tubes before establishing the first settlements in them. One likely platform for enabling this exploration is via the Moon Diver mission and the tethered Axel rover.

Josh SchertzApril 17, 2019moon, science, roboticsComment

Surface Strength of PSRs

Surface Strength of PSRs

Although multiple landers and rovers have touched down on the Moon, no vehicle has visited the Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles. Water ice has been observed within some PSRs, and therefore represents an ideal target for future lunar missions. An important unknown to study before the first PSR mission is understanding the surface environment, including how much mass the PSR regolith can support. It is critical that rover wheels and landing pads don’t sink into the regolith. To study this, a recent analysis used boulder tracks to evaluate the bearing capacity of regolith in these areas.

Josh SchertzApril 3, 2019moon, scienceComment

More Questions than Answers at Bennu

More Questions than Answers at Bennu

After less than three months in orbit, the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission has already made several discoveries about the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Bennu. Most promising for resource utilization is the presence of water-bearing (hydrated) materials. However, the environment is dangerous with particle ejections from unknown sources, many large boulders, and an ever accelerating rotation rate. Asteroid exploration and processing missions are in for a challenge!

Josh SchertzMarch 27, 2019asteroid, scienceComment

Impacting Lunar Polar Ice

Impacting Lunar Polar Ice

The permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles represent prime locations for finding high concentrations of water bearing material on the Moon. Even though PSRs have been remotely observed for the past few decades, much is still unknown about these areas. Key questions include the origin of the ice, how extensive it is, and how it changes over time. A recent model addresses some of these questions by predicting how long near-surface ice should exists before being sublimated away.

Josh SchertzMarch 20, 2019moon, water, scienceComment

Advanced Composite Habitats

Advanced Composite Habitats

Extraterrestrial habitats are required for sustained human exploration of space. The trade-off between mass, size, and safety is a concern for all proposed systems. The goal is to provide a low mass system that is easy to transport, while providing maximum space to astronauts and protection from the harsh environment. In addition to large temperature swings, structures need to survive multiple g’s during transportation, radiation, and micrometeorite impacts.

Josh SchertzMarch 13, 2019habitat, human exploration, composites, structure, generalComment

Modeling Ice in Asteroids

Modeling Ice in Asteroids

A key appeal for processing water from asteroids as opposed to the Moon is the low delta-V required to get to and from them. However, this assumes that water rich asteroids come near Earth. Scientists from the Planetary Science Institute have recently developed an analytical model that can help estimate if some near-Earth objects (NEOs) contain water ice.

Josh SchertzMarch 6, 2019asteroid, water, science Comment

Ryugu's Visitor

Ryugu's Visitor

The quiet, everlasting vacuum has been a steady companion. After millions of years, a new visitor emerged from the darkness. Normally visitors come barreling in and cause a significant disturbance. Unusually, this visitor remained in a cautious orbit for a few months. Out of nowhere, this new companion approached with a strange appendage and fired a metal slug into the surface. Materials ejected were collected in a surgical fashion before the visitor retreated back to a safe distance. Quietness once again enveloped the scene.

Josh SchertzFebruary 26, 2019asteroid, science, jaxaComment

What are China's Moon Plans?

With the China National Space Administration (CNSA) successfully landing their Chang’e 4 lander and Yutu-2 rover in January 2019, China has now had two successful landings on the Moon. Their first successful landing with Chang’e 3 was also the first soft landing on the lunar surface since the Soviet Luna 24 in 1976. China’s most recent landing with Chang’e 4 is an even greater accomplishment as it is the first time any spacecraft has landed on the Moon’s far side. These missions are just the start of China’s ultimate goals for lunar exploration.

Adam HugoFebruary 22, 2019moon, chinaComment

Surviving the Temperamental Moon

Surviving the Temperamental Moon

As indicated by the title of Robert Heinlein's 1966 novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, the Moon is a harsh environment to operate in. There is a scant atmosphere, abrasive dust, and extreme temperature ranges to deal with. Observed temperatures range from a blistering 127 C (260 F) in equatorial sunlight down to a frosty -238 C (-397 F) in the permanently shadowed regions of the poles. Designing missions to survive these conditions pushes current technology to its limits.

Josh SchertzFebruary 19, 2019moon, science, survival, top Comment

The Importance of Lunar Landing Ejecta and Emissions

The Importance of Lunar Landing Ejecta and Emissions

There are many exciting opportunities to be found as gradual progress is made to return humans to the Moon to stay in the coming years. With these opportunities there are also various challenges to overcome related to an increasing frequency of landed missions. When spacecraft land they emit large quantities of gases and displace significant amounts of regolith. Because of the Moon’s low gravity and thin atmosphere relative to the Earth, both of these actions have magnified effects.

Adam HugoFebruary 14, 2019moon, ejecta Comment

Asteroid Exploration with an AMIGO

Asteroid Exploration with an AMIGO

Surveying the surface of asteroids is challenging. Asteroids of interest are often millions of kilometers away from Earth, have milli-gravity, and have variable lighting and surface conditions. Yet surface information is essential for planning resource exploration missions to them. A recently proposed semi-inflatable robot operating in a swarm may excel in this environment.

Josh SchertzFebruary 12, 2019asteroid, robotics, engineering, landerComment

Propelling Demand for Space Water

Propelling Demand for Space Water

Water is the first resource many in the space resources community are targeting for exploration and utilization missions. Not only is water abundant throughout the Solar System, but it is one of the most useful resources. Its uses include the creation of propellant and oxidizer, use in chemical processes, and as drinking water and breathing oxygen for astronauts. Water is the oil of space. Similar to how oil drives terrestrial economies, water in space will propel the space economy, literally and figuratively.

Adam HugoFebruary 9, 2019water, thrusters, engineering, terrestrial, satelliteComment

The Future of Space Observations

The Future of Space Observations

The space industry is in the midst of a data revolution. The two key trends causing this include data proliferation and commercialization. This is interesting because both scientists and commercial players are participants in this change. The rise of petabyte size data releases and privatization of data will forever change how space observations are made and used.

businessJosh SchertzFebruary 7, 2019science, data, business, generalComment