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Ina ("D" Formation - (18.5°N, 5.3°E)), an enigmatic formation long the focus of study from the ground and from lunar orbit, was prominent in a presentation by Marc Robinson of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) team at Arizona State University, to the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) in Houston, last month. While many poster and many of the submitted science presentations were made available before the meeting the much anticipated invited presentations were posted to the web just in the past few days.

Chief among these, of course, were up-to-date reports, not yet available anywhere else, from the investigating teams participating in both the LCROSS and LRO projects.

We will continue to look these over, and plan to post further comments about what they contain over the next few days. At this point, though, we 're happy to confirm that each whets the appetite for the expected release to the Planetary Data System of a large part of the data collected using LRO in February 2010 [NASA/GSFC/ASU/LEAG].

Those presentations, brought to our attention by LEAG chair Clive Neal of Notre Dame can be downloaded HERE. (A discussion of Ina, three kilometers across along the straight part of the "D" as seen above and what may be an extinct caldera, is worth reading at Charles A. Wood's LPOD, HERE).

Dana Mackenzie on the LEAG Annual Meeting

Hat tip to Marc Boucher at NASA Watch for pointing us to a another first person account of the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG).

Mackenzie's two part report Marc calls "worth a read" can be found HERE.

2009 Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group: An Official Report

Clive R. Neal
Notre Dame

The annual meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) was held at the Lunar & Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, over 3.5 days (November 16-19, 2009. The meeting brought together NASA officials, lunar scientists and engineers, and established commercial space companies and lunar entrepreneurial firms. The focus of the meeting was to discuss how to make the next phase of solar system exploration (robotic leading to human) sustainable and, to this end, included the first exciting results from the NASA LCROSS and LRO missions. In the broadest sense, space exploration encompasses:

– Learning to live and work successfully and productively off world.
– Expanding Earth’s economic sphere beyond Earth orbit.
– Strengthening existing and create new global partnerships.
– Engaging, inspiring, and educating the public.
Making it sustainable is one of the three themes in the draft Lunar Exploration Roadmap, developed by LEAG (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag/ler_draft.shtml), for the Science Committee of the NASA Advisory Council, which address why we are returning to the Moon through three themes:

– Pursue scientific activity to address fundamental questions about the solar. system, the universe and our place in them.
– Use the moon to prepare for future missions to Mars and other destinations.
– Extend sustained human presence on the moon to enable eventual settlement.
To be sustainable, lunar activity must consistently return value greater than the investment required to create that value. International and commercial partnerships are vitally important in achieving this result. The following high-level conclusions from the LEAG meeting will be incorporated into the next version of the Lunar Exploration Roadmap:

• A sustainable lunar enterprise requires the use of lunar resources to “live off the land.”
• A sustainable lunar enterprise begins with robotic missions as incremental steps to facilitate more productive human missions.
• A sustainable lunar enterprise provides a basis for long-term human presence on the Moon, enabling exploration of the solar system and a space-based economy.

Impressive results from NASA’s LCROSS-LRO, Japan’s Kaguya, and India’s Chandrayaan-1 indicate the presence of important lunar resources that are vital for sustainable human presence, and which could significantly reduce the cost of human space exploration. Furthermore, the scientific importance of the Moon is now clearer than ever, given strong evidence of its value for studying the solar system volatile flux history.
For more information, please contact the LEAG Chair, Clive R. Neal (neal.1@nd.edu).

LEAG 2009 DeBrief - Out of the Cradle

"Wow! That was a mind-bending conference. Clearly LRO is coming into full flower, its instruments providing solid and fascinating results."

With that hopeful statement, Ken Murphy of Out of the Cradle begins an excellent summary of the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) in Houston.

Ken himself admits he was "on vacation." While his report is interesting, but not a headline-making report mostly about using his visit to Houston to fatten OTC's Lunar Library, including a visit to the area's Half-Price-Books.

I'm a HUGE fan of the Half-Price-Books stores, and spent an inordinate amount of time at the store the used to be on Camp Bowie in southwest Fort Worth, many years ago. But I sure would not have missed Anthony Coleprete's higher-order discussion of the LCROSS results.

As further debriefs come in, we will happy to post these.

Ken's trip to Houston HERE.

Novel methods of heat flow deployment for the International Lunar Network (ILN)

Artist rendering of a future node of the International Lunar Network, integrated into the NASA's Next Generation Robotic Lander, seen here arbitrarily situated several kilometers south of Mons La Hire, rising like Ayers Rock in Australia over the vast plains of Mare Imbrium. Current plans call for the NGRL platform to be adopted for a wide variety of other lunar programs also. [ILN/NSFC/Lunar Pioneer].

Kris Zacny, et.al. Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft Mechanism Corp., NASA JPL, Texas Tech & N. Arizona Universities and NASA Goddard

Introduction:

The heat-flow probe directly addresses the goal of the Lunar Geophysical Network, which is to understand the interior structure and composition of the Moon. The International Lunar Network (ILN) is a near-term mission that requires a heat-flow probe. ILN is a set of four small landers, scheduled for launch in the 2016-2018 time frame, that will deploy up to four instruments. The ILN payload is limited to ~25kg and its power will most likely be provided by a ASRGs.

To place 1kg on the surface of the Moon costs ~$50k to$100k. Thus, any scientific instruments must be efficient with respect to limited spacecraft resources such as mass, power, and volume without compromising on quality scientific measurements.

A key challenge for a heat-flow probe will be getting to a 3m depth at which the endogenic thermal gradient can be measured, i.e. below the depth of penetration of the annual thermal wave, within ILN Payload limitations. The Apollo 17 two heat flow probes reached 2.4m. A heat flow probe must create a minimal disturbance to the thermal environment.

Heat-Flow Probe Concepts:

We have been developing two highly innovative low mass and low power heat-flow probe systems (robotic, but can be also astronaut deployable). Each system consists of two parts: 1) a method of reaching 3m depth in lunar regolith, and 2) a method of deploying thermal sensors.

Percussive System: The first system uses a percussive (hammer-like) approach to drive a small diameter (20mm) cone penetrometer to >3 meter depth (Figure 1). Ring-like thermal sensors on the penetrometer rod (heaters and temperature sensors) are deployed into the regolith every 30 cm as the penetrometer goes down to 3 m. The penetration rate of the percussive penetrometer can be correlated to regolith density; this added measurement will help with thermal conductivity correlation.

The system leaves only small sensors in the borehole. The deployment rod is removed once depth is reached, maximizing measurement sensitivity by eliminating thermal path to lander except for the electrical tether.

Pneumatic-Proboscis System: The second system uses a pneumatic (gas) approach to lower the temperature and thermal conductivity sensors attached to a lenticular (bi-convex) tape to > 3 meters (Figure 2).The second system uses a pneumatic (gas) approach to lower the heat flow probe, a lenticular (bi-convex) tape, to > 3 meters (Figure 2). The system is a revolutionary innovation for ILN as it has extremely low mass, volume, and simple deployment. This system is dubbed the “Proboscis” because of its similarity to a butterfly proboscis. Helium gas, used for pressurizing liquid propellant, and is typically vented once on the surface, can be scavenged from the lander propulsion system, making the thermal probe system lighter.

Should spacecraft helium not be available, a simple gas delivery system may be added specifically for the heat flow probe. Honeybee demonstrated that 1 gram of N2 at 5 psia can lift 6000g of JSC-1a in lunar conditions (vacuum, 1/6g) Thus, a only a small amount of gas would be required to penetrate to 3 m.

The 2009 Annual Conference of the
Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG)
is underway in Houston

Conference Program

2009 Annual Meeting of LEAG

The 2009 Annual Conference of the

Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG)
is underway in Houston

Conference Program
Monday evening Poster Session
Monday afternoon, November 16, 2009:

INTRODUCTION TO THE MEETING THEME
AND THE LUNAR EXPLORATION ROADMAP

1:15 p.m. - Lecture Hall

Moderator: G. Jeffrey Taylor

How does a Sustainable Lunar Exploration Program Benefit Lunar Science and Solar System Exploration?

Spudis P. D.
A Sustainable Return to the Moon [#2013]

Blair B. R.
Quantitative Approaches to Lunar Economic Modeling [#2040]

Plescia J. B.
The Influence of Lunar Outpost Objectives on Outpost Capabilities [#2066]

Mitchell, Massa & Wheeler, et.al.
Energy-Efficient Plant-Growth Lighting: Key to Sustainability of the Lunar Base and Beyond [#2029]

Current and Future Missions: How Will the Results of Current and Future International Missions Facilitate a Sustainable Lunar Architecture?

Cohen B. A. * MSFC/APL ILN Team
Geohazards on the Moon and the Importance of the International Lunar Network (ILN) [#2022]

Pieters C.
Water, Water Everywhere? [#2077]

Elphic, Paige &. Siegler, et.al.
South Pole Hydrogen Distributions for Present Lunar Conditions [#2060]

Teodoro, et.al.
Lunar Hydrogen Distribution after Kaguya (SELENE) [#2053]

Bussey, McGovern & Spudis, et.al.
Lunar Polar Illumination Conditions Derived Using Kaguya Laser Data [#2027]

Why settle the Moon?

G. Jeffrey Taylor
Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
University of Hawaii - Honolulu

The space program needs a viable long-term goal. I suggest that the central goal should be to learn to live and work in space by living and working in space. A sustained presence on the Moon, with a vibrant infrastructure in cis-lunar space, is an essential part of that goal. Achieving this goal requires extensive use of lunar resources, active roles by both government and the private sector, and a social contract that the venture is worthwhile and worth funding. But why do it? Here are some reasons for pursuing this goal.

Challenge ourselves. We need grand goals that bring out the best in us. As President John F. Kennedy said about the Apollo program, we go to the Moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Settling the Moon, learning to live and work in space, and eventually going to Mars and beyond is certainly hard, much harder than was going to the Moon during Apollo. It will test our educational system, research laboratories, and industries, making all more effective and innovative than they are now.

New perspectives on our world, our problems, and ourselves. Space exploration has already provided us with new perspectives on Earth and our place in the universe. The first full Earth pictures taken by Apollo astronauts during their Moon journeys showed us that we live on an isolated, fragile, and beautiful island in space. Seeing the pale blue dot, as Carl Sagan called it, made everyone realize that we ought to take care of it, which helped fuel the environmental movement during the 1970s and beyond. Lunar settlements far from home may give us new perspectives on addressing other pressing problems, such as energy, health care, and poverty. Perhaps most important, it expands our view of our place in the universe. We are part of something larger than ourselves, our towns, our nations, and even our world.

Inspire all of us to become part of something larger. Many of us have claimed that the Apollo program inspired a generation of students. Maybe. But a sustained human presence will not provide the thrill of a short Apollo mission. What is the equivalent of Apollo 8, its crew reading from Genesis on Christmas Eve, 1968, or of Apollo 11 making the first landing? Instead, the inspiration will come from the new opportunities in commerce, science, arts, and humanities. Students from K through college will see opportunities for them to contribute to culture and knowledge. The new perspectives our human perch on the Moon provides may inspire the creative people in our society to aim high, to see the world differently, to think outside the box.

National pride and prestige. We have a growing number of space-faring nations. Believe it or not, the leaders of those nations are not driven to understand the details of magma ocean crystallization or searching for life in the cold deserts of Mars. They want to show the world that their nations can accomplish great feats.

Establish global partnerships. A good way for nations to work together is to collaborate on ambitious projects of mutual benefit. This is the other side of nationalism. It is pleasant to think about a coordinated effort involving many nations to establish a permanent, international settlement on the Moon, a settlement where differences were set aside for the common good, where governments, NGOs, companies, universities, and other entities from many nations worked together to learn how to live and work in space for the benefit of the citizens of planet Earth. This long shot is not a driving reason for space settlement.

Create the capability to travel to Mars and other destinations. The only way to develop the technical capability to travel anywhere in the solar system at affordable cost is to have a robust infrastructure in cislunar space that supports commerce. We need routine access to space, not one-off stunts funded entirely by a government or even an alliance of governments.

It’s what humans do. Humans explore. If we did not, we would not find humans living in every nook and cranny of the world. Space is still a wide-open frontier, awaiting adventurous humans who want to become part of something bigger than themselves.

How to begin: Making travel throughout cis-lunar space and lunar settlement affordable requires the use of lunar resources. In turn, this requires a thorough knowledge of how to handle materials on the Moon to extract useful materials, and an understanding of how to protect humans and agricultural products from radiation and other space hazards. Addressing the questions can begin immediately with a series of robotic missions. Commercial ventures can join in this by providing payloads on government-funded landed missions. A rich set of robotic missions can be envisioned while we wait for a cost-effective transportation system to be developed.

The 2009 Annual Conference of the
Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG)
is underway in Houston

A Sustainable Return to the Moon

On Monday, the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group
begins its annual meeting in Houston.

Paul D. Spudis
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Annual Meeting of LEAG (2009)

Our ultimate goal in space is to be able to go anywhere, at any time with whatever capabilities to accomplish any task or job we choose to undertake. We are light-years away from achieving such a goal, largely because we must drag everything we need in space with us from the bottom of a very deep gravity well – the Earth’s surface. As long as this paradigm prevails, we will remain mass- and power-limited in space and thus, capability-limited as well.

The Vision for Space Exploration, outlined by President Bush in 2004 and endorsed by two Congresses, is the official space policy of the United States. The Vision is designed to serve national scientific, economic and security interests. It calls for extending human missions beyond low Earth orbit by learning how to use the material and energy resources of the Moon to create new capabilities in space. The VSE was envisioned from the beginning to be accomplished under existing and inflation-growth budgetary envelopes. Thus, our challenge is to design a program in which time (rather than money) is the free variable. We want to make steady, constant progress towards our goals. This requires an architecture that uses small, affordable steps (incremental) that occur at frequent intervals (paced program) and build upon each other with time (cumulative) to create new and lasting space faring capability.

The Moon is key to gaining this new capability. It has the material and energy resources needed to operate and live in space. It is over 45% by weight oxygen, extractable through a variety of well-known industrial chemical processes. Hydrogen is also present; at the equator it occurs in concentrations of up to 100 parts per million, extractable through simple solar thermal heating. But the real “pay dirt” on the Moon is at the poles, where concentrations of hydrogen have been confirmed (the current debate is over what form this hydrogen takes). Water ice likely exists in the permanently dark regions of the lunar poles. Moreover, we have documented areas at both poles that are in near-constant sunlight (a consequence of the low obliquity of the Moon’s spin axis). So the Moon’s poles contain both the material (water) and energy (sunlight) resources needed for sustainable human presence there.

An incremental architecture designed to take advantage of these possibilities is possible under current budgetary limitations. The key is to pre-emplace much of the assets we need on the Moon robotically, prior to the arrival of humans. Small robotic landers can survey resources and characterize the terrain for an outpost. Slightly larger landers can deliver equipment; rovers with earth-moving attachments can prepare a habitat site. Large solar arrays can be deployed to generate hundreds of kilowatts of electrical power. Small oxygen production equipment can experiment with different processing techniques, characterizing their yields and efficiencies. All of these robotic devices can be teleoperated from Earth (only a three second time delay); each landing incrementally increases our capability on the Moon and independence from terrestrial logistics. When humans finally arrive on the Moon, they move into a turn-key operation – a pre-emplaced outpost, operating and ready for use.

On the Moon, we will learn the skills needed and develop the technologies required to live and work productively on another world. Our objectives are to arrive, to survive and to thrive. Tasks include building a transportation system, preferably with maximum utility and reusability (arrive), closing the life support loop and extracting consumables from local materials (survive), and producing products for export that create new capability in space, such as rocket propellant (thrive). By establishing a space transportation system that can routinely access the lunar surface and return to low Earth orbit, we have created a system that can also routinely access all other points in cislunar space, where all of our commercial and national security assets – and more than 90% of our scientific assets – reside.

Such a strategy has significant implications for the lunar return architecture. The Orion CEV should be designed in a minimalist, Apollo-scale configuration; its function is only to transport crew to and from Earth’s surface to staging areas in orbit. Staging can be done from the ISS, making that program an asset in our lunar return. Cargo takes solar-electric “slow boat” routes to an Earth-Moon Lagrangian staging point while the crew arrives later using “fast” chemical transport. The Altair lander is more LM than behemoth; a 20-30 mT vehicle, its only job is to transport crew to and from the lunar surface. The crew lives on the lunar surface in habitats pre-emplaced and built through robotic teleoperation. Vehicles are designed to be reused in space and, eventually, re-fueled on the Moon and in cislunar space.

Creation of this new transportation system completely changes the paradigm of space flight; no longer are we limited to what we can bring up from Earth. Space systems become maintainable and extensible. Very large distributedaperture sensor systems can be built and upgraded. We will only launch high-information density payloads from Earth, such as complex machines, sensors and computers, and refuel stages in Earth orbit for placement in higher orbits (e.g., GEO) or into interplanetary space. Creating this cislunar transport infrastructure is analogous to building a “transcontinental railroad” in space – it will open up the space frontier to an ever increasing and varied customer base, not just academic science and government.

The Vision’s purpose was to break the tyranny of the rocket equation by learning how to use what we find in space to create new capability. It was to be undertaken under existing or modestly enhanced budgetary envelopes. We go to the Moon not touch the surface and blast off for Mars but to learn the skills needed to become a space faring civilization. Fulfilling this goal makes space relevant to many different customers, with a wide variety of interests and purposes. The intent of the Vision was to redirect the agency onto a path that creates new wealth, instead of merely consuming it.