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Lava Tube Analog Mission for Lunar Science and Human Performance Studies Samuel W

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Lava Tube Analog Mission for Lunar Science and Human Performance Studies Samuel W Lava Tube Analog Mission for Lunar Science and Human Performance Studies Samuel W. Ximenes1 and A. A. Mardon2, G. Baiden3, G. R. Osinski4, N. Ghafoor5, C. S. Dickinson5, O. Gurtuna6, A. Prévot6, M. G. Daly7. 1Exploration Architecture Corporation (XArc), 303 W. Sunset Rd. Ste. 108, San Antonio, TX 78209, USA, [email protected], 2Antarctic Institute of Canada, Post Office Box 1223, Station Main, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5B 2W4, [email protected], 3Penguin Automated Systems, Inc., Naughton, Ontario, Canada, [email protected], 4University of Western Ontario, Center for Planetary Science and Exploration, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7, [email protected], 5MDA, 9445 Airport Rd., Bampton, Ontario, Canada L6S 4J3, [email protected], [email protected], 6Turquoise Technology Solutions, Inc., 4999 St. Catherine West, Suite 540 Westmount, Canada, QC H3Z 1T3, [email protected], [email protected], 7York University, Department of Earth and Space Science & Engineering , Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3, [email protected]. SIMULATIONSIMULATION OF OF ROBOTIC ROBOTIC AND AND HUMAN HUMAN “FIRST “FIRST CONTACT” CONTACT” WITH WITH A A LUNAR LUNAR LAVA LAVA TUBE TUBE SCIENCE Skylight Discovered at Nisga’a Lava Tube Human & Robotic Performance TECHNOLOGY Moon’s Marius Hills Region Entrance Assessments at Analog Site Lunar Geology simulated Applied Technologies and • Understanding the volcanic Technology Development history of the Moon • Robotic and autonomous • Access to fresh outcrops of mobile systems volcanic rock for analysis and • Spectral analysis sampling (i.e., rocks not • Laser measurement systems affected by space weathering for cave profiling and or micrometeorite mapping bombardment) • Pressurization techniques • Understanding the geologic • Human factors and radiation processes associated with protection ancient lunar basaltic lava • Navigation & communications flows • Logistics • Understanding the changes • Science instruments in composition of layered lava • Photo/video/vision systems flow sequences • 3D visualization Astrobiology for Mars • Structures & materials Exploration Applications • EVA suit mobility testing • Understanding the volcanic • Power and lighting • Program management tools history of Mars 1st Human Expedition to a Nisga’a Lava Tube Analog Cave Profiling Technology for Lunar • Access to fresh, dust-free (NASA Image) Technology outcrops of volcanic rock Lunar Lava Tube Site Habitation/Science Research Commercialization • Understanding the potential • Technology application to of lava tubes as habitats for courtesy Natural Resources Canada other subterranean life environments on Earth & • Test hypotheses and other planetary bodies understand biogeochemical • Security, civil construction, processes, & the signatures public safety and mining that these processes leave in applications mineral deposits • Potential for access to permafrost and ground ice without drilling HUMAN PERFORMANCE In-Situ Monitoring Of Human REMOTE SENSING Health & Performance • Improve understanding of the Remote Sensing Tools and Analog Site at Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park in British Columbia, Canada biological, psychological and GIS Applications social effects of stress in an • Improvements in remote ICE (Isolated, Confined, and sensing and detection The recent discovery by the science team of the Japanese Kaguya lunar sensing satellite of a Extreme) environment technologies such as ground “skylight” or cave opening in the area of the Moon’s Marius Hills region is a potentially important find • Model human decision- penetrating radar for the existence of intact lunar lava tubes. This discovery raises the specter of investigative science making process and personal • Use of Geographic and social information focusing remote sensing efforts for planning robotic and eventually human expeditions to these processing Information Systems (GIS), subsurface environments for in situ investigations. geo-spatial analysis, GPS, • Investigate the emotional and traverse planning tools The operational scenarios, technologies, and human and robotic performance feats associated with needs of crews related to workload stress, isolation, planetary cave exploration can be benefited by terrestrial analog mission testbeds. and human/robotic Certain geomorphologic features found at the Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park in British Columbia, interactions FLEXIBLE PATH MISSION Canada can serve as a terrestrial analog site for science research and testing of mission operations • Develop methods to measure to lunar subsurface sites. We propose an analog mission investigating required science and evaluate human Candidate Destination for performance and behavior on NASA Flexible Path Mission measurements with human performance objectives simulating robotic and human “first contact” with long-duration missions Planning a lunar lava tube. The proposed geographic location for conducting the analog studies is within the • Scientific expedition to Marius protected area of the Nisga’a Lava Bed in proximity to the Tseax River Cone or Aiyansh Volcano Hills Skylight offers mission of where unmapped lava tubes exist. opportunity which satisfies TEAM STRUCTURE many goals of NASA’s newly Scope and Objectives of the Research: The idea is to get some understanding of first robotic and revised exploration direction: human contact with a lunar lava tube through the use of comparable terrestrial lava tube features. - Terrestrial analog phase Basic scientific understanding of the features is necessary to locate them on the Moon as well as - Robotic lunar precursor techniques of entering and examining them robotically and by astronauts. phase - Human lunar return phase Proposed Methodology: Essentially we simulate a first scientific expedition to a lunar lava tube. By - New technology simulating missions to the features on Earth researchers can better understand direction and development techniques of exploration of those features on the Moon. An international team of planetary - International participants scientists, caving and mining experts, robotic experts, and human performance experts has been - Knowledge gained for Mars assembled to investigate the best path for technology development and how sampling and science planetary cave exploration - Participatory exploration can be done on the lunar surface and underground. - Commercialization opportunities.
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