{"id":96334,"date":"2022-03-15T14:17:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T18:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-478080"},"modified":"2023-10-11T10:17:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T14:17:37","slug":"nasa-project-takes-off-with-new-3d-lunar-simulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/kennedy\/nasa-project-takes-off-with-new-3d-lunar-simulation\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Project Takes Off with New 3D Lunar Simulation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg 6720w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Kurt Leucht, a software engineer at Kennedy Space Center, works with robotics engineers Jason Schuler and Austin Langton inside the Florida spaceport\u2019s Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab\u2019s \u201cbig bin\u201d during prototype develop for the In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Pilot Excavator. The ISRU project is a robotic mission designed for lunar operations.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Kim Shiflett<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>By Jim Cawley<br>\nNASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Pilot Excavator\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png 4096w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=300,158 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=768,405 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=1024,540 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=1536,810 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=2048,1080 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=400,211 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=600,316 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=900,475 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=1200,633 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_rover.png?resize=2000,1055 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Shown is a screen shot of the In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Pilot Excavator on the Moon through a 3D software simulation<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_jason.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Robotics engineers Jason Schuler and Austin Langton level and compact lunar regolith simulant for their Pilot Excavator inside of Kennedy\u2019s Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab. The pair teamed up with Software Engineer Kurt Leucht, who worked just outside of the facility\u2019s \u201cbig bin.\u201d<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Kim SHiflett<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\nA team at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center is utilizing a new 3D software tool that benefits <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/artemisprogram\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis<\/a>, the agency\u2019s campaign to establish the first long-term human presence on the Moon in preparation for crewed missions to Mars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurt Leucht, a software engineer at the Florida spaceport, was creating online tutorials for NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/breaktheicechallenge.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Break the Ice Lunar Challenge<\/a>, an event aimed at encouraging the public to develop technologies for a sustained human presence on the Moon. While using actual lunar elevation data captured by NASA spacecraft for developing the simulation environment for the contestants\u2019 robots, he was struck with an idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce I saw the 3D robot driving around on the 3D lunar surface, it occurred to me that I could add more detail and make it more realistic,\u201d Leucht said. \u201cIt got me thinking, \u2018I support other projects at Kennedy that could really use a tool like this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The software tool is officially called Immersive Surface Operations Lunar Visualization Environment, or I-SOLVE. But internally, Leucht and the simulation\u2019s users have started calling it by the nickname \u201cMoon Tycoon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Moon Tycoon software is playing an important role in developing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/isru\" rel=\"noopener\">In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)<\/a> Pilot Excavator, a project headed by Kennedy Robotics Engineer Jason Schuler, and funded by NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/game_changing_development\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Game Changing Development Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The robot excavator, targeted to fly aboard a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/content\/commercial-lunar-payload-services\" rel=\"noopener\">Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)<\/a> flight in the next several years, will demonstrate excavation of up to 10 metric tons of regolith on the Moon. The ability to excavate regolith in such high quantities is a critical part of NASA\u2019s plan to create sustainable infrastructure on the Moon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis will be the first time excavating for mining operations, or in other words, where the intent is to actually use the resources, Schuler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schuler reached out to Leucht to learn how the simulator could be used in testing his team\u2019s \u201crobotic construction worker.\u201d The robot\u2019s demonstration will take place near the South Pole region of the Moon \u2013 an area with significant lighting and shadow concerns. While finalizing layout of the robot, Schuler and his team had questions about camera placement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith this software, we can simulate cameras in any position we want on the robot, and we can simulate putting different lenses on the camera, so we get multiple fields of view and viewing angles,\u201d Schuler said. \u201cWe can look through them in the simulation and get the perspective that the robot will have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leucht collaborated with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)<\/a> in California to enhance the simulation and create accurate topography to a more desirable resolution. This helped account for the expected number and sizes of rocks and craters, as well as the undulating terrain the robot \u2013 about the size of two carry-on suitcases \u2013 will encounter during excavation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leucht has focused on making I-SOLVE as accessible and easy to use as possible. Everyone on the Pilot Excavator project team from the <a href=\"https:\/\/kscpartnerships.ksc.nasa.gov\/Partnering-Opportunities\/Capabilities-and-Testing\/Testing-and-Labs\/Granular%20Mechanics%20and%20Regolith%20Operations%20Lab\" rel=\"noopener\">Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations<\/a> (GMRO) Lab, the <a href=\"https:\/\/technology-ksc.ndc.nasa.gov\/featurestory\/swampworks\" rel=\"noopener\">Swamp Works<\/a> team, as well as engineers at other centers, can use the software at their desktop. It works on a standard computer screen or in virtual reality, and upgrades can be applied in minutes.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt allows us to very quickly iterate the robot design and the tool as the robot design changes,\u201d Leucht said. \u201cIt\u2019s really a valuable tool that we didn\u2019t even realize we needed until we had it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leucht\u2019s program may soon have other uses. A project involving 3D printing of structures on the Moon, such as garages to house rovers and equipment, is in the research and development phase at Kennedy. Researchers expressed the desire to visualize how their equipment will operate on the Moon and how robots will interface with it. Leucht was able to quickly add photo-realistic 3D models of the proposed 3D printed lunar structures to the simulation, allowing the team to visualize and interact with them in virtual reality.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the meantime, the Moon Tycoon will continue to help provide more detailed and accurate testing on the ISRU Pilot Excavator, as it prepares for the CLPS launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can excavate the regolith and use it as construction material,\u201d Schuler said. \u201cWe can build landing pads, leveling areas for site preparation, build berms, and compact pathways all in simulation. All of these capabilities are important for enabling a sustainable human presence on the Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/topics\/moon-to-mars\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a> to learn more about NASA\u2019s Moon to Mars missions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jim Cawley NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center A team at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center is utilizing a new 3D software tool that benefits Artemis, the agency\u2019s campaign to establish the first long-term human presence on the Moon in preparation for crewed missions to Mars. Kurt Leucht, a software engineer at the Florida spaceport, was creating [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":100977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2862,2681,2801,13004],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[10285,3917],"coauthors":[8386],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Project Takes Off with New 3D Lunar Simulation","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/kennedy\/nasa-project-takes-off-with-new-3d-lunar-simulation\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/kennedy\/nasa-project-takes-off-with-new-3d-lunar-simulation\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jim Cawley"}],"creator":["Jim Cawley"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA Centers & Facilities","Kennedy Space Center","Research and Technology at Kennedy Space Center","Artemis","Commercial Space"],"dateCreated":"2022-03-15T18:17:00Z","datePublished":"2022-03-15T18:17:00Z","dateModified":"2023-10-11T14:17:37Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Project Takes Off with New 3D Lunar Simulation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/kennedy\/nasa-project-takes-off-with-new-3d-lunar-simulation\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2022-03-15T18:17:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities,Kennedy Space Center,Research and Technology at Kennedy Space Center,Artemis,Commercial Space\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jim Cawley\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"2 years","featured_image":{"id":100977,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/3d_sim_kurt.jpg","title":"AFS-8\/101","alt":"Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab","caption":"A team at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida tests small- and medium-sized bucket drums July 16, 2021, in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab\u2019s \u201cbig bin\u201d during prototype development for the pilot excavator, a robotic mission designed for lunar operations. The bucket drum excavated lunar regolith simulant. The Swamp Works team leveled and compacted the simulant before excavation as well as measured penetration during the excavator testing. Robotics engineers Jason Schuler and Austin Langton worked inside the bin, teaming up with software engineer Kurt Leucht, who worked just outside of it."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96334"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96334"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":385823,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96334\/revisions\/385823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96334"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=96334"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=96334"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=96334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}