Effective Processing of GPR Data to Investigate the Sub-Space

Much of the inhabited terrestrial underground consists of sands, clays, and gravel mixed with stones, tree roots, construction debris, and of course, utilities. While the sub-spaces on Moon and Mars do not yet contain utilities or construction debris, they are made up of material that could provide in-situ resources essential for sustaining human colonies on a short and long-term basis. For example, caves will protect humans from solar rays outside the safety of a lunar lander. Knowing about their existence and entry points, however, requires detailed information about the subsurface. Also, buildings need to be constructed on solid ground instead of covered over "sinkholes". Ice and oxygen or helium-rich ores will be other highly desirable substances. Ground penetrating radar promises to be an excellent technology to for supporting the search for such in-situ resources. It is being successfully used to investigate the terrestrial sub-space for various purposes. This paper will discuss its various applications, a novel data processing method applied to experimental tests performed in beach sand.