Exploring the Moon schematic.
Scientists have discovered lava tube caves on the moon, large and small, that are billions of years old. The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to explore these underground caves with the goal of creating a three-dimensional model that includes information on cave continents, radiation and temperature conditions to pave the way for a future base on the Moon.
After a selection process, two teams have been selected to participate in ESA’s Concurrent Design Tool (CDF) study. One team is considering using a spherical probe to enter the cave; the other team plans to use a group of small robots.
The team from the University of Wurzburg, Germany, is designing a spherical probe with autonomous movement capabilities, equipped with a 3-D radar and stereo camera, to go into the cave and explore the cave’s continental resources, find areas of radiation and temperature stability, and create a 3-D model of a lava tube cave. This information is useful for subsequent projects to establish a base on the Moon.
A research group at the University of Oviedo in Spain plans to send a group of small robots into the cave to explore it. Their plan relies on a lunar rover. The rover is parked at the entrance of the cave located on the ground, equipped with solar panels, using solar power to provide electricity. The rover is equipped with a crane, which uses a boom to send the robots into the underground cave.
The crane uses the solar energy from the rover and then provides the power to the robots working in the cave wirelessly through a charging interface, while also transmitting and receiving data wirelessly.
The CDF Research lava cave expedition is planned to last one lunar day (equivalent to 14 Earth days).
Beginning in late February, CDF Research has begun integrating the two teams’ programs with ESA’s European Large Logistics Lander (EL3), a lander that will help ESA’s multiple lunar landing programs land on the Moon, and Moonlight. “Moonlight’s goal is to provide the navigation and communications network needed for lunar exploration missions.
The CDF will look at details such as the path from the landing site to the mouth of the lava tube, the energy expenditure required to send the rover down the tube and transmit data, and the interface design between the rover and the crane, and between the crane and the rover,” said Francesco Sauro, ESA’s planetary lava tube cavern specialist. “
“Overall, these studies help ESA identify exciting new technologies and assess the feasibility of using this new way of exploration for future missions, paving the way for future developments.”
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