15th Biennial ASCE Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments
Detecting Loose Regolith in Lunar Craters Using Thermal Imaging
Publication: Earth and Space 2016: Engineering for Extreme Environments
ABSTRACT
Robotic missions could soon explore permanently shadowed craters on the lunar poles in order to characterize ice accumulation beneath the surface. However, the regolith in these craters is hypothesized to be very loose and could endanger a rover mission. This work analyzes the ability of thermal imaging to detect hazardous, low-density regolith in shadowed regions on the lunar poles. A series of simulations was conducted to estimate the surface temperature of lunar regolith as a function of density in polar craters. A generalized lunar crater model was used, and thermal properties of regolith were taken from experiments on Apollo samples. Results showed that in most situations there is a difference in temperature between nominal and loose regolith samples. This effect is most consistent at night in the absence of solar radiation and generally causes temperature differences between 2 K and 3 K. Based on comparisons to the capabilities of the DIVINER lunar radiometer, it is likely that regolith density differences would be detectable by a rover-mounted instrument.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Portions of this research were carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This work was supported by the NASA Small Business Technology Transfer Program as well as a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship.
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Published In
Earth and Space 2016: Engineering for Extreme Environments
Pages: 16 - 26
Editors: Ramesh B. Malla, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, Juan H. Agui, Ph.D., NASA Glenn Research Center, and Paul J. van Susante, Ph.D, Michigan Technological University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-7997-1
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published in print: Dec 30, 2016
Published online: Jun 29, 2017
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