## 3 Results
### Challenges of Lunar Environmental Conditions  
The negative influence of the Lunar environment on hardware survival must be taken into consideration, especially for a long-duration mission. Analyzing previous mission experiences from the Luna and Apollo Programs, there are two major impacts underlined on hardware systems: Lunar regolith and sunless cold temperatures. Regolith comprises dust-sized particles between 40 \(\upmu\)m and 130 \(\upmu\)m and is extremely abrasive due to its chemical and physical composition [62; 63]. Additionally, the Moon is permanently exposed to solar radiation and cosmic ray spallation, which makes constant contact with the regolith. Due to that phenomenon, particles are electrostatically charged, which represents a significant impact on the hardware. To mitigate Lunar dust influence on the hardware and Lunar operation, compliant mechanisms led by analytical design and topology optimization are proposed by [64; 65].  
Bearing in mind that solar energy will be unavailable during the lunar nights, this makes the production of heat and electricity challenging [63]. To avoid this problem, two solutions are proposed: (1) Thermal Wadis as a thermal power source to protect the systems during the cold periods and (2) Thermal Energy Storage (TES) as a system to run a heat engine producing the electricity during the periods of darkness [66].  
Another problem of deploying instrumentation on the Moon's surface is related to harsh conditions on the Lunar surface, with daily temperature variations of almost 300 K. However, due to regolith's low thermal conductivity, the temperature under the surface remains almost constant, with an average of about 253 K [67]. Therefore, a possible solution for the long-term operation of a transceiver node is keeping its sensitive electronics under the surface while exposing only the necessary devices (antennas, motors, solar collectors, etc.) to the environment.  
As a summary on operational consequences resulting from the specific Lunar environment, several issues are critical to keep sensitive electronic components operational. The first is related to thermal management. Electronic components must be able to withstand large temperature fluctuations and high temperatures. To mitigate this, insulation and thermal control materials, such as multilayer insulation (MLI) or thermal blankets, can be used to regulate the temperature of the electronic components.  
The Lunar surface is subject to high levels of solar and cosmic radiation that can cause Single Event Upsets (SEUs) and Single Event Latchups (SELs) in electronic components. To mitigate this, various techniques such as using radiation-hardened components, shielding, and redundant systems are used.  
Electronic components must also be mechanically protected from mechanical impacts and vibrations that can occur during landing and operation on the Lunar surface. This can be achieved using ruggedized packaging, shock mounts, and shock absorbers.  
To ensure the longevity and reliability of electronic components, it is important to manage the power supply effectively. This can be achieved using power storage systems, such as batteries or energy harvesters, and power management systems that regulate the power supply to the electronic components.