PISCES: Developing New Design, Materials, and Technologies for Sustained Human Presence on the Moon and Mars

PISCES, the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, is being developed on the Big Island of Hawaii as an integrated research facility and simulated lunar settlement for the purpose of developing new technologies needed for a sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars. PISCES was created by the University of Hawaii under the auspices of the Japan-US Science, Technology and Space Applications Program (JUSTSAP), and has recently been funded by the State of Hawaii through the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT). This new center will be built on partnerships between industry, academia and the governments of spacefaring nations, adopting a model that has seen wide success in such programs as the NASA Research Partnership Centers (RPCs), the NASA Robotic Engineering Consortium at Carnegie Mellon University, and numerous programs within NIST, the Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation. In addition to its research and development mission, PISCES will function as an education, research and technology development center; a training center for astronauts, scientists, K-12 and university students; and a public outreach resource for local residents and tourists to experience the multitude of scientific, educational and economic benefits that space exploration could bring to Hawaii. New technologies developed in PISCES and at universities and industries around the world will require testing in an environment simulating as closely as possible that found on the Moon. Several nations plan robotic exploration missions to the Moon in the next few years, and PISCES will be an important proving ground for hardware developed through collaborative projects in science and technology. To validate space operations, new system architectures, designs, materials and mechanisms had to be developed, such as a robotic vehicle called ATHLETE (the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed, Extra-Terrestrial Explorer), and materials had to be utilized from space. This ATHLETE vehicle concept is capable of efficient rolling mobility on moderate terrain and walking mobility on extreme terrain. Each limb has a quick-disconnect tool adapter and associated tools so that it can perform general-purpose handling, drilling, scooping, assembly, maintenance and servicing tasks using any or all of the limbs. Each of ATHLETE's 6-degree freedom limbs is equipped with non-pneumatic, lunar-appropriate, compliant wheels to enable rolling mobility in soft soil. Also, new ISRU materials and designs had to be developed to accommodate the space environment to sustain human settlements, deal with moon dust, and ensure very long-duration operations. Astronauts embarking on exploration missions and long stays on the Moon will need training in the use of these new technologies to free themselves from the drudgery of routine chores and to increase their time for scientific and technological achievements. This paper describes the PISCES development plans, particularly in the areas of In-Situ Resource Utilization, Robotics and Education and Outreach.