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Overview of the Resource Prospector (RP) Mission

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Overview of the Resource Prospector (RP) Mission National Aeronautics and Space Administration! Overview of the Resource Prospector (RP) mission Terry Fong" NASA Ames Research Center! Origins of Lunar Volatiles" Clementine (1994): LCROSS (2009): There Bi-static radar tests with is water-ice and other Arecibo could indicate water-ice in permanently volatiles in the permanently-shadowed RP (2019): “Go shadowed craters regions down and prospect/ Lunar Prospector (1998): map the water-ice. Permanently-shadowed “How are Try an ISRU polar craters contain the volatiles experiment to make elevated Hydrogen levels “Could that distributed water from the Hydrogen be and can we soil…”. trapped as make use water-ice?” of them?” LCROSS not only confirmed presence of water-ice in a permanently-shadowed region, but showed there was enough to be economically viable. RP will provide water-ice distribution on human-scales [m-km], and will explore if areas of temporary sunlight might also retain water ice, making water potentially much more accessible. Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 2 Mission Relevance" “To gain an understanding of whether lunar volatiles could be used in a cost effective manner, it is necessary to understand more about the nature and distribution of the volatiles and whether they could be processed cost effectively. The first step is robotic prospecting to take measurements on the lunar surface” “Additional information may be needed prior to committing to a processing demonstration mission, such as a mission rover capable of entering permanently shadowed regions of the lunar poles” RP is attempting to accomplish both of these objectives in a single mission … Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 3 RP Top-level Objectives" The Resource Prospector Mission elements include: (RP) mission is being •" Lunar lander developed to prospect for •" Lunar rover volatiles (water ice) in a •" Prospecting, polar region of the Moon, sampling & analysis and demonstrate an In- payload Situ Resource Utilization •" Launch vehicle (ISRU) capability. Payload •" Mission operations Rover Utilizing lunar resources NASA is working with to produce oxygen and Lander international and commercial partners to propellants could enable Lander new mission architectures braking expand the reach of the for human exploration. stage mission while sharing engineering and scientific results. Falcon 9 v1.1 Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 4 Strategic Value of RP" Lunar Propellant Technology & ops Production Mars Propellant Lunar Sample Return Production Lunar Volatiles Prospecting (RP) & ops Technology Mars ISRU Demo Mars Sample Return In-Space Manufacturing In-Space NEA NEA Propellant Resource Resource Depot Prospecting Extraction Asteroid Retrieval Human Cis-Lunar Missions Human NEA Missions Human Mars Missions Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 5 RP Simplified Overview" Get there… Launch Find & Mine Volatiles… Cruise Use the Neutron Spec & Map Near-IR Spec to look for Descent & surface Hydrogen-rich materials Utilize the volatiles… Landing Quick Extract Heat sample to reaction Use the Drill Subsystem Super- temps (150-900degC) using to auger down to 1[m] Checkout soil heat soil the OVEN Subsystem Roll-off Flow H through the heated Lander 2 Heat samples (150degC) Make soil to capture oxygen and Heat soil in the OVEN Subsystem water make water using the OVEN Quick Subsystem Checkout Determine type and Begin Determine Show Image and quantify the Surface quantity of volatiles in the me the water created using the Volatiles LAVA Subsystem, (H2, He, LAVA Subsystem Ops CO, CO2, CH4, H2O, N2, water! NH3, H2S, SO2) Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 6 Notional Landing Sites" •" RP Team is working with candidate partners to optimize landing site •" Many possibilities exist trading volatiles concentration, terrain, lighting, Direct-To-Earth Comm, and mission duration RP Cabeus RP Haworth RP RP LCROSS RP RP RP RP RP RP Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 7 Notional Traverse Plan" 2 kilometers Major waypoint Discovery: traverse re-plan 100-m radius landing ellipse Excavation site Pre-planned traverse path Executed path 200 m 8! Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 8 2012 Field Test: Early Mission Simulation" NASA/CSA partnership doing initial prospecting demo at Mauna Kea, Hawaii Payload Rover “Lander” Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 9 2012 Field Test: Prototype Rover & Payload" Subsurface Sample Collection Volatile Content/Oxygen Extraction Drill/Auger Oxygen & Volatile Extraction Node (OVEN) Power Solar Array Operation Control Flight Avionics Volatile Content Evaluation Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) Resource Localization Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) Sample Evaluation Surface Mobility/Operation Near Infrared Volatiles Rover Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 10 2012 Field Test: First Mission Simulation" Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 11 2014 Field Test: High-Fidelity Analog Prospecting" Mojave Desert, California Goal 1: Prospecting. Mature prospecting ops concept for NIRVSS and NSS instruments in a lunar analog field test Goal 2: Real-Time Science Ops. Improve support software by testing in a setting where the abundance / distribution of water is not known a priori Goal 3: Science on Earth. Understand the emplacement and retention of water in the Mojave Desert by mapping water distribution / variability Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 12 2014 Field Test: Science Operations (NASA Ames)" Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 13 2014 Field Test: Prototype Rover & Payload" Resource Localization Neutron Spectrometer Sample Evaluation System (NSS) Near Infrared Volatiles Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 14 2014 Field Test: Prospecting Data" 100 m Yes, there is (subsurface) water in the Mojave !!! NIRVSS “hydration” (hot colors = more bound water) and NSS neutrons (hot colors = more hydrogen) Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 15 Flight Concept Rover & Payload" Communications mast Subsurface Sample Collection Comm antennae & Nav cams Drill/Auger Power Solar Array Heat Rejection Radiators 223 cm Resource Localization (mast) Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) Volatile Content Evaluation Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) 146 cm 132 cm Surface Mobility Sample Evaluation Rover Near Infrared Volatiles Spectrometer System Volatile Content/Oxygen Extraction (NIRVSS) Oxygen & Volatile Extraction Node (OVEN) Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 16 NASA Lander Concept" •" Considerable effort put into prototyping a mass and cost-efficient lander –" Novel aluminum riveted structure reduces complexity and cost –" Partner will provide the lander, but prototyping helps define reference mission needs NASA-MSFC / NASA-JSC Lander structural prototype NASA-MSFC / NASA-JSC Lander Model Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 17 NASA Lander Concept Development (2014-15)" •" Lander prototype - Cold flow propulsion testing NASA-MSFC / NASA-JSC Lander propulsion testbed Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 18 Payload Engineering Testing" •" In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems undergoing engineering test –" Subsystem TVAC and vibe testing, drilling in relevant environment, etc –" Some instruments are near protoflight-ready –" Held independent Payload review held @ KSC w/ 9 independent reviewers OVEN Reactor Checkout Testing OVEN Reactor Mechanical OVEN Reactor Heater at 700+ºC Assembly Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 19 TVAC Volatiles testing at NASA-GRC (2013)" •" NIRVSS was full tested at NASA-ARC, including TVAC testing •" NIRVSS was then installed in a TVAC chamber at NASA-GRC to be operated while a CSA auger drill was tested –" Lunar simulant mixed/packed with 1% water, cooled to -80C and in vacuum –" NIRVSS took images, spectra and radiometric data (screen shot below) Image from NIRVSS Drill Operations Camera (DOC) Data inset (on left) shows drill depth vs. water concentration (derived from NIRVSS spectrum) Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 20 Water Droplet Demo (WDD)" •" Water from Regolith! •" Demonstrating Regolith Oxygen Extraction from doped simulant to test H2O creation Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 21 Programmatic Status" •" NASA led mission –" Budget: $200M (without launch & lander) –" NASA Class D / Category III project –" Risk-tolerant, streamlined approach (LCROSS mission model) •" Partnerships –" NASA to provide rover and payload –" TBD partner to provide drill system –" Detailed discussions and study with JAXA for Lander •" Status –" Completed Mission Concept Review (MCR) in 2013-09 –" Rover Engineering Test Unit (ETU) currently under development NASA team lander concept –" Payload Engineering Units in test with rover and ISRU demonstration –" Early 2020 launch date Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 22 Questions ?" Title_Design Editor" Overview of the Resource Prospector Mission 23 National Aeronautics and Space Administration! Backup RP Payload Instruments" •" The Neutron Spectrometer (NS) Subsystem will be used to verify
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