Shackleton on a Summer's Day

LOLA's Malapert Region

NASA/GSFC - 6.18.2010 - Located near the lunar South Pole, the Malapert region (85.99 S, 357.07 E) is of interest as a potential location for lunar exploration. In addition to revealing the elevation of different points on the lunar surface, such as the topographically high Malapert Massif, LOLA data can also be used to classify surface roughness and to model how much sunlight different areas on the lunar surface receive for given amounts of time. With these models, scientists can find places that never receive sunlight, commonly referred to as permanently shadowed regions, as well as those that are constantly illuminated. LOLA data can also be used to determine how easily an area on the Moon could communicate with Earth by switching the "light source" in illumination models to "Earth." Areas with high "illumination" in this situation have better visibility from Earth (people on Earth can see them most often), and therefore have better communication pathways between the Earth and the Moon.

LOLA data have found the rim of Malapert Massif to have high illumination. Malapert Massif also has exceptional Earth visibility, and because of its excellent communication potential (and interesting science potential!), the Malapert region has been suggested as a site for future lunar exploration. + View Image | + High Resolution

Turned on it's head, for the convenience of the Earth-bound, the now-iconic HDTV Earthset frames imaged by Japan's first lunar orbiter Kaguya (SELENE-1), released in 2008 [JAXA/SELENE].

Near the Summit of Malapert Mountain

The lunar highlands exhibit rhythmic patterns thought to result from slow, downslope creep of the loose regolith (soil). These subtle patterns are most easily seen when the Sun is low to the horizon. Image is 2400 meters wide, north is to the top [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Mark Robinson
LROC News System

What exactly is the cause of these intersecting lines, sometimes informally known as "elephant skin?*" LROC is now collecting the data to allow scientists to model different theories. These include seismic shaking and temperature cycling. Most likely both mechanisms play a role, but which mechanism is more important?

Malapert mountain is very ancient, and thus has well-developed regolith (soil). Malapert is always seen at low Sun due to its latitude (86° South) near the south pole, giving this texture its striking appearance.

Currently LROC is building up mosaics of both poles and acquiring stereo data to provide high-resolution topography. Images of the same area with lighting from different directions combined with the new high-resolution topography maps are providing the tools to model the processes involved in forming these patterns. Stay tuned as the elephant skin story develops!

A new take on the famous HDTV image returned by Japan's first lunar orbiter Kaguya (SELENE-1). The Earthset over the Moon's southern extremes is presented "right side up" with cameras aimed at a nearly-Full Earth (from dawn over Iran to sunset over New Zealand) as the Kaguya quickly orbits away north, over South Pole-Aitken Basin and the Moon's far side. Malapert Mountain is part of the SPA basin's rim, the largest and oldest known impact basin on the Moon, and the massif occupies all of the horizon in this view. The lunar south pole is on the shadowed portion of 10 km-wide Shackleton, at upper left. Malapert has long been considered a favorable site for a permanent Moon base or as a location for automated support facilities because the high crest experiences almost constant sunlight on some portion of it's length. The treasures here are in the shadows.

[*Ed. Note: Recent study of the lunar exosphere suggests the "Elephant Skin" phenomena might also be understood as an artifact of dust fallout, as a remnant of daily cycles of the migration of electro-statically charged, sub-micron-sized lunar dust.

A recent "thought experiment" suggests the fallout of dust "precipitates" along regular patterns, subtly changing direction - more slowly at the extremes of seasonal cycles, thus predominately redepositing in one of two directions with higher probability than otherwise, and changing more slowly, of course, as new fine-grain dust is "gardened" from the immediate surface over an estimated 2 million years. Originating as a byproduct of the tenuous lunar exosphere, so the thinking goes, it then is affected by quakes, slumping and thermal differentials. Though such patterns must obviously change on a longer time scales, these would still depend on regular and very ancient cycling of the angle of solar incidence and interactions of the lunar surface with Earth's magneto-tail, etc. A pattern of dust fallout would seem likely to predominate within these cycles at those times when the alteration of solar wind incidence slows and reverses. Over a two millions years long time scale, a pattern, it is supposed, would tend to result as more dust accumulates first in one direction and then in another.

This hypothesis has some big holes, in my opinion. It doesn't explain the predominance of these patterns on the Moon's higher elevations, for example (unless, as was suggested by the results of the surface solar wind experiment of Apollo 17, lunar dust migration also occurs along nearly horizontal directions, in addition to ballistic paths, during at least some part of a still-incompletely understood lunar dust cycles).

Nevertheless, the idea of taking the cycling of the lunar exosphere into account when trying to explain the "Elephant Skin" patterning does seem worthwhile. - Joel Raupe]

Kaguya Data: No 'Peak of Eternal Sunlight'

Hat Tip to Lunar Mark and (Nick Azer)
Luna C/I: Moon Colonization and Integration

In what seems to be a little-noticed but highly important development for lunar base planning, Japan’s SELENE (also known as Kaguya) lunar orbiter last month determined that the concept of a ‘Peak of Eternal Light‘ at either of the lunar poles does not exist.

The possibility of a Peak of Eternal Light at one of several locations, including the rim of Shackleton Crater or on Malapert (both at the South Pole), made those locations prime candidates for early lunar bases. Having eternal sunlight is, clearly, an advantage for any outpost relying largely on solar power.

Some of these points at the lunar poles do have as much as 89% illumination, though, so they remain very strong locations as far as near-constant solar power.

The pessimists of the universe, though, will rejoice in knowing that permanent shadow was confirmed to exist–leading to potential water ice.

The JAXA team’s findings were published in the U.S. journal of Geophysics last month.

NASA & BNSC collaborate planning for Lunar Cellular Network

With a horizon only two miles away, the notion of a lunar surface with sufficient cellphone towers to prevent the frustrating "dead zones" experienced on Earth, as tall needed or tall as necessary and could be built in low gravity, brings to mind Doug Bradley in full "Pin Head" make-up and ready as always to "play."

Nevertheless, as attention naturally continues to focus on the Nearside rim of the massive and ancient Aiken Basin, which has within it's wide realm much of the southern Farside, the Lunar South Pole while peaking out into sight from Earth, for a primary permanent habitat on the Moon, NASA and the British National Space Centre (BNSC) are already planning a cellular phone network.

Most attention is clearly on the complexities of a stable constellation of satellites in "Goldilocks" orbits, neither too high or low and in orbits as unaffected by lunar MassCons and the Moon's inherent lack of mass homogenaity; flying cell towers, beginning with two and with testing using an underground relay beginning as soon as 2012.

There will be towers, to be sure, here and there - perhaps on Malapert, for example.

Malapert has the distinction of being high-ground situated close to the South Pole but never quite slipping out of line-of-sight from Earth with the Moon's libration. On Malapert the sunset is seasonal but Earthset never quite happens. Instead Earth rises less than 10 degrees up and falls to kiss the horizon, sometimes dipping low enough that only Earth's southern hemisphere remains visible, while the rest of the Universe wheels about with the Sun.

Malapert does not qualify as a "mountain of perpetual sunlight," as is may exist nearer to both poles, but as an Earth observation post, with proximity to the South Pole only some 50 kilometers and 180 degrees south of an observer, it is particularly well-situated for a microwave wireless power distribution node and to relay communications between Earth, the Lunar South Pole and for Farside satellite and optical fiber head-ins. The mountain also appears to be a good location for nesting underground or in close-by permanent shade from X-Class Massive Coronal Eruptions.

In fact, as NASA and others, including myself, have long-noted Malapert seems to be one of many ideal and even strategic locations on the Moon for a lot of Human activity.

But NASA working with BNSC envisions most Lunar cellular phone and realtime data traffic around the Moon handled a small swarm of satellites much like the GPS systems dancing around Earth. It also may resemble the high ground swarms flown for satellite phone traffic on Earth, and both LPS and cell exchange may eventually ride together.

Traffic for such a proposed cellular system might be light at first, but it may well be absolutely critical, also. Whether planners can overcome problems with Lunar perturbations and its possible effect on orbital timing for predictable hand-overs, both Lunar-centric Positioning Systems for orbital traffic control, navigation and mapping and for local communications more reliable than what consumers often have on Earth today may be needed sooner than most of our fellow "ground-pounders" can yet imagine.

Report from Silicon.com

SpaceDev to Develop Payload for International Lunar Observatory

Design to include astrophysics and communications capability for private Moon mission

Poway, CA – SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) of Hawaii to conduct requirements definition and preliminary design of the ILO spacecraft’s astrophysics and communications payload. ILO will perform various astronomical observations from the South Pole of the Moon, and will also engage in commercial communications activities.

“We see this as a critical phase of work for ILO, as it will solidify the mission’s goals and priorities,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We will determine how to deliver the most valuable and desirable astrophysics data from the surface of the Moon to scientists around the world, while pursuing a design to allow the rapid, low-cost mission development that will be a hallmark of ILO.”

About SpaceDev
SpaceDev, Inc. is a space technology/aerospace company that creates and sells affordable and innovative space products and mission solutions. For more information, please visit www.spacedev.com.

About ILOA
The International Lunar Observatory Association is a Hawaii-based non-profit organization dedicated to expanding human knowledge of the Cosmos through observation from the Moon, via its ILO and ILO Human Service missions. For more information, please visit www.iloa.org.

SpaceDev Flies Prototype Hybrid Rocket Lunar Lander

Project is first to demonstrate applied throttling capability

POWAY, CA – SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that it has concluded the first phase of development on its hybrid rocket powered lunar lander prototype, with a successful flight test. The effort was supported by the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) led by Steve Durst, who envision using the technology to bring their ILO spacecraft to a soft landing on the South Pole of the Moon, where it will perform various astrophysics and communication functions.

During the flight test, the lander prototype vehicle’s four hybrid rocket motors were ignited and throttled via radio control, their thrust adjusted in real time to achieve lift-off, ascended to approximately 35 feet, hovered, descended, and landed softly. A video of the flight may be seen here - Lander Test Video.

This test marked the first ever of a hybrid rocket powered lander vehicle and demonstrated applied throttling, a key capability of SpaceDev’s reliable, safe, and non-toxic hybrid propulsion technology. “This is an exciting project that has shown not only the versatility of our hybrid motors, but also SpaceDev’s high levels of responsiveness and efficiency,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev’s Chairman and CEO. “We see many important applications for our throttleable rockets, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with ILOA as well as our research and development of lander vehicles.”