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Beagle 2 – The Moon: An Experiment Package To Measure Polar Ice And Volatiles In Permanently Shaded Areas Or Beneath The Lunar Surface. C.T. Pillinger on behalf of a collaboration between the Beagle 2 consortium and the NASA Johnson Space Center*. C.T. Pillinger1 (speaker at meeting) on behalf of a collaboration between the Beagle 2 consortium and the NASA Johnson Space Center, Everett K. Gibson2, Dave McKay2, Dan Garrison2, Andrew Ball1, Simeon Barber1, Dave Barnes3, Chris Chaloner4 , Jim Clemmet5 , Ian Crawford6, Yang Gao7, Andrew Griffiths8, Jason Hall9, Richard Holdaway10,Katherine Joy6, Chris Lee11, Geraint Morgan1, Andrew Morse1, Judith Pillinger1, Lutz Richter12, Dave Rothery13, Bryan Shaughnessy10, Simon Sheridan1, Mark Sims14, Matthew Stuttard5, Lester Waugh5, Ian Wright1, John Zarnecki1. 1PSSRI, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA 2NASA/JSC, ontinue Here With Second Author’s First Affiliation, Address 3Aberystwyth University, Old College, King Street, Aberystwyth, SY23 2AX 4SEA, SEA House, Bristol Business Park, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1EJ 5EADS Astrium Ltd, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Herts SG1 2AS 6 Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7HX 7Surrey Space Centre, The University of Surry, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH 8University College London, Department of Space & Climate Physics, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT 9Roke Manor Research Limited, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0ZN 10Space Science and Technology Department, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX 11 SciSys, Methuen Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 0GB 12German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany 13 Earth Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA 14Space Research Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH 01908 655169, [email protected] Abstract. The beginning of the next decade will see the launch of scientific payloads to the lunar surface to begin laying the foundations for the return to the Moon by humans. Shortly thereafter, astronauts will be transported to our neighbouring satellite for extended periods on what may become a long term or even permanent basis. One of the important questions which must be answered early in the programme is whether there are lunar resources which would facilitate ‘living off the land’ and not require the transport of materials and consumables from the Earth. Orbital observations and theory dictate that there should be trapped volatiles at least at the south lunar pole and in permanently shaded sites. Experiments by some of the authors have shown there are solar wind sources and mechanisms on the Moon to create a repository of volatiles of interest for use by future bases. Additionally there could be a cometary or meteoritic component. It is presently unknown whether there is a process which allows volatiles to be evaporated and recondensed or trapped in places where they could be accessed by potential colonists.. The Beagle 2 science package (an item which could be described as suitcase science) is an ideal payload to use on the lunar surface for determining the nature of hydrogen and water and the light element (hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur) lunar volatiles found in the polar regions which could support the vision for space exploration espoused by NASA, ESA etc.. Earlier this year, NASA’s Planetary Programs Office solicited proposals from within the US for a ‘Lunar Sortie’ initiative: science/technology developments to piggy-back on the exploration programme. A proposal was submitted by the Johnson Spacecraft Center suggesting that Beagle 2 had technology which could be exploited by NASA for the furtherance of its long term lunar ambitions particularly those involving human activities. In August the JSC team were selected to pursue this idea and a meeting was held at the Open University in September attended by over 20 people (from academic institutions and industrial companies), some from the original Beagle 2 consortium and others interested in participating in a lunar initiative. The outcome of this meeting was unanimous support for a study that could lead to world class science and technology developments. Additionally there was a belief that opportunities could arise for those not in the original Beagle 2 project to be involved. In addition the meeting saw an outstanding chance to pursue the UK’s aspirations and have an equal partner activity, with NASA providing, at the very least, the launch and landing logistics. There was a strong belief that what was proposed is ILEWG 9th International Conference on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon, ICEUM9/ILC2007 strategically in keeping with the Accord signed between the UK and US on lunar activities by Sir Keith O’Nions and NASA Administrator Mike Griffin. A number of organisations volunteered to undertake a systems study of how a Beagle 2-based package could be tailored for lunar operations and how this might be configured as a stand alone item, deployed on a rover, have extended sampling capability or eventually be an autonomous station put in place and left during future astronaut supported missions. We intend to establish a science working group to investigate how to maximise the return from the endeavour. A progress report and more details will be given at the meeting. PRINCIPAL AUTHOR’S BIO (~50 WORDS) Colin Pillinger was the lead scientist/consortium leader of Beagle 2. Pillinger, Everett Gibson and Dave McKay were Principal Investigators on the Apollo lunar programme. ILEWG 9th International Conference on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon, ICEUM9/ILC2007 .

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