# Presentation: 712990

## Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research: Partnership in Science and Exploration

- Michael J. Wargo, Sc.D.
- Chief Lunar Scientist
-  for Exploration Systems
- michael.wargo@nasa.gov
- (202) 358-0822

## Announcement Information

- _[Go to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com](http://nspires.nasaprs.com/)_
- Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) - 2007
- Solicitation: NNH07ZDA001N
- Appendix C.8
- Or, search for: nspires laser nasa

## What’s Changed

- The Notice of Intent deadline has been changed from June 29 to July 6.
- The submission date for proposals has been extended from September 7 to September 20.
- Additionally, there is text in the LASER call that will now allow for 4 year proposals.
- Proposers must be sure to have 4 years of work in the proposal.

## Exploration Topics

- Lunar Data Processing and Modeling to support Human Lunar Missions and surface activities
- Field Exploration Techniques and Outpost Operations
- Lunar Regolith Interaction and Simulant Investigations
- Resource Utilization

## 1. Lunar Data Processing and Modeling to support Human Lunar Missions and surface activities:

- Identification, processing, analysis, and delivery to the Planetary Data System of lunar data sets that would be of value to exploration
- Modeling that can improve our understanding of the local or general lunar environment (e.g. lighting, thermal, radiation, etc.) or improve our ability to optimize systems that function therein

## Theoretical and/or experimental work on fluid behavior and interactions in lunar gravity and how they would affect operations and systems performance at an outpost
Cryogenic fluid creation, transfer, storage, loss replenishment, and performance in mobile and stationary human environmental control systems
Such investigations should demonstrate how they would reduce risk and/or enhance performance during human missions to the Moon
Theoretical work on volatile deposition, transport, segregation, and distribution at the lunar poles
Developing strategies and identifying considerations for site selection, including the roles of:
planetary processes, resource availability, topography, and geochemistry/mineralogy 

- Cryogenic fluid creation, transfer, storage, loss replenishment, and performance in mobile and stationary human environmental control systems
- Such investigations should demonstrate how they would reduce risk and/or enhance performance during human missions to the Moon
- Theoretical work on volatile deposition, transport, segregation, and distribution at the lunar poles
- Developing strategies and identifying considerations for site selection, including the roles of:
- planetary processes, resource availability, topography, and geochemistry/mineralogy

**1. Lunar Data Processing and Modeling to support Human Lunar Missions and surface activities:**

## Recognizing that measurements to be made on upcoming international robotic missions will add greatly to our quantitative understanding of the Moon, proposals should clearly indicate how any near term theoretical/modeling efforts will add significant value in this early phase of lunar exploration. 

## 2. Field Exploration Techniques and Outpost Operations

- This topic area addresses key field exploration techniques and outpost science and operations.
- sample collection, documentation, curation
- human-robotic interactions
- planetary protection
- Development, analysis, and possible ground demonstration of techniques to support science, as well as resource evaluation for human activities
- Study of exploratory strategies for maximizing scientific or technical return from surface activities
- human-machine interaction/optimization
- human centered computing
- development of optimized exploration science protocols

## 2. Field Exploration Techniques and Outpost Operations

- Study of tradeoffs between human and robotic capabilities to accomplish tasks that will be performed on the Moon for exploration and science
- Study of human performance in the execution of exploration or science activities that are expected to be part of a lunar outpost or sortie missions or are uniquely enabled by local human presence
- Studies using field sites, facilities, or hardware on Earth as analogs for lunar exploration science

## 3. Lunar Regolith Interaction and Simulant Investigations

- This topic area includes any theoretical or applied research that looks at how outpost or human sortie activities will interact with regolith in order to execute lunar exploration and/or science missions, including investigations using lunar simulant.
- charging, adhesion, chemistry, handling, transport, extraction, processing, etc
- Lunar dust investigations for mitigation
- dust properties, electrostatic dust charging, dust repellant materials, and dust-related planetary protection studies
- Civil engineering questions related to:
- Trafficability (e.g., effects of repeated traverses on the regolith stability)
- Geotechnical properties, stabilization
- Mining and excavation

## 3. Lunar Regolith Interaction and Simulant Investigations

- 	The Moon is recognized as an excellent testbed for testing technologies for planetary protection.
- Investigations that develop new strategies for limiting contamination released by human support equipment (habitats, extra-vehicular activity (EVA) suits, mobility aids) and for preventing contamination of human systems by dust and other lunar elements

## 4. Resource Utilization

- Theoretical or applied scientific research on the use of local resources
- Production of oxygen, nitrogen, and other volatiles, fuels, metals
- Using regolith as construction materials, etc.) in lunar outpost activities,
- Assessment of materials processing strategies and methodologies in the lunar environment
- Development of time-phased strategies for resource utilization with analyses of which resource types to exploit at what times
- Concepts to shift human exploration paradigms away from resupply to local generation of finished products to be used at the outpost for either exploratory or scientific benefit

## 4. Resource Utilization

- Studies of the use of human lander components or decomposed lander materials for secondary functions after the primary mission has been completed
- Cost-to-benefit evaluations or different resource development strategies, using development cost, landed mass, and total end-to-end energy as the figures of merit