An Update on MoonLITE

MULLARD SPACE SCIENCE LABORATORY

An Update on MoonLITE

Rob Gowen

UK Penetrator Consortium

EGU Vienna 2009 April 23


MoonLITE - Update

Mission Overview Impact trial Programme advances International Engagement Next steps


MoonLITE - Mission Spacecraft:

Lunar polar orbit, altitude ~100km, <40km for penetrator release.Potential ILN comms link

Payload:4 descent modules, each to implant a ~13Kg penetratorat 300m/s into lunar surface

Landing sites: Globally spaced - far side, polar regions, near side

Launch & Duration: Planned for 2014& 1 year operations

Objectives:– network seismology – polar water and volatiles– ISRU (water/radiation/quakes)

3

2

1

4

Far side

Polar commsorbiter

UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory

MoonLITE Heritage

• UK commissioned study of Lunar Mission options

• BNSC-NASA Joint study on Lunar Exploration• LunarEx Cosmic Visions proposal (= Phase 0)• (May08) Pendine Impact Trials• (July08) International Peer Review• (Mar09) Phase-A Proposal Review• (Mar09) Parallel technology

development Prog


Pendine Impact Trials


Pendine Impact Trials

• Full Scale ‘component level’ trials• Conducted at Pendine, South Wales• May 2008• 3 penetrators fired at 300m/s into dry sand


Penetrator Outline

Full-scale trial – Scheduled May 19-23 2008

Fire 3 penetrators at 300m/s impact velocity

0.56m

~13 Kg


Impact trial – ContributorsImpact trial – Contributors


Impact trial – PayloadImpact trial – Payload

Radiation sensor

MagnetometersBatteries

Mass spectrometer

Micro-seismometers

Drill assembly

AccelerometersPower/BatteriesInterconnectionProcessing

Accelerometers, ThermometerBatteries,Data logger


Trial Hardware

Bays Stack


Impact Trial - ConfigurationImpact Trial - Configuration

• Rocket sledRocket sled• PenetratorPenetrator


TargetTarget

• Dry sandDry sand• 2m x 2m x 6m(deep)2m x 2m x 6m(deep)

entrance aperture



Results - 1st TrialResults - 1st Trial

• Penetrator found in top of target• Glanced off a steel girder which radically changed its orientation.• Penetration: ~3.9m• Much ablation to nose and belly• Rear flare quite distorted. • Penetrator in one piece ✓

Firing parameters:• Impact velocity: 310 m/s (c.f. 300m/s nominal)• Nose-up ~10degs (c.f. 0 degs nominal)

=> worst case


1st Trial1st Trial


11stst Trial – Opening up Trial – Opening up

• ss


11stst Trial – after opening up.. Trial – after opening up..

Micro seismometer bay

Connecting to MSSL accelerometerand data processing bay


1st Trial – accelerometer data1st Trial – accelerometer data

Along axis:Along axis:• CutterCutter : 3 kgee : 3 kgee • Main impact Main impact : 10 kgee: 10 kgee• GirderGirder : 1 kgee: 1 kgee

Along axis

Vertical axis

Horizontal axis

Firing Along axis

Vertical Horizontal

1’st 10 kgee 15 kgee 4 kgee

3’rd 11 kgee 17 kgee 7 kgee

Peak gee forces 10 kgee

15 kgee

4 kgee

GirderMain impactcutter


Hi-res MSSL accelerometer dataHi-res MSSL accelerometer data

Lots of high frequency structure


2nd Trial2nd Trial


33rdrd Trial Trial

Steel nose for 3rd trial


Survival TableSurvival Table

Item Firing 1 Firing 2 Firing 3

Penetrator ✓ ✓ ✓

Q-accel sys ✓ ✓ ✓

Rad sensor ✓ not present not present

Batteries ✓ (x reduced capacity)

not present not present

Drill assembly ✓(x mounting) not present not present

Magnetometer ✓ not present not present

Micro seismometers

not present ✓ (protected) ✓ (protected)

Mass spectrometer

not present x pressure sensorx 3” heating element

x pressure sensor✓ 6” heating element

MSSL proc, power & accelerometers

✓✓ (triggered prematurely)

✓

Triple worst case: exceeded 300m/s, and >8deg attack angle

No critical failures


Impact Trial ObjectivesImpact Trial Objectives

Demonstrate survivability of penetrator body, Demonstrate survivability of penetrator body, accelerometers and power system.accelerometers and power system.

Assess impact on penetrator subsystems and Assess impact on penetrator subsystems and instruments.instruments.

Determine internal acceleration environmentDetermine internal acceleration environmentat different positions within penetrator. at different positions within penetrator.

Extend predictive modelling to new penetrator materials,Extend predictive modelling to new penetrator materials,and impact materials.and impact materials.

Assess alternative packing methods.Assess alternative packing methods.

Assess interconnect philosophy.Assess interconnect philosophy.


International Peer Review


International Peer Review (9-11 July 2008, London)

• Dr. Carle Pieters1 (Chair), Brown University– Dr. Catherine L. Johnson, University of British Columbia and

Scripps Institution of Oceanography– Dr. Gregory Neumann, NASA GSFC– Professor F.W. Taylor, University of Oxford – Dr. Mark Wieczorek, CNRS & IPGP

• Assessed science of MoonLITE• Assessed strawman payload• Provided prioritization (penetrators/instruments)• Plus a lot of useful advice and direction


Outcomes

• ‘The Panel found the scientific potential of the MoonLITE penetrator network concept to be exceptionally high in the context of the international exploration activities.

• In particular the internal structure of the Moon and the existence/nature polar volatiles.

• This exciting mission would provide a stand-alone cornerstone to the proposed International Lunar Network and is a particularly valuable contribution to the early phases of a broader Global Exploration Strategy (GES).’

‘Both of these fundamental science issues (Internal structure and nature of possible polar volatiles) are well suited to be addressed by an approach that uses a distributed network of instrumented penetrators across the Moon. This is the unique capability potentially provided by the MoonLITE concept.’


Phase A


UK announces Phase A Study

• In December 2008 the UK announced it would undertake a Phase A study of the proposed MoonLITE mission

• This study would be supported by NASA

• Study duration 9 months, K.O. April 2009


Academic Institutes:Birkbeck CollegeImperial College London (2 departments)Open UniversityUniversity of CambridgeUniversity College London (2 departments)University of LeicesterUniversity of Surrey

Industrial Sub-contracts:AstriumMagna ParvaQinetiQ (2 sites)Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd

MoonLITE Phase A


MissionLevel

PDSLevel

PenetratorLevel

CommsLevel

Mission Requirements

Science Requirements

Baseline Mission Architecture

CommsInterfaceDefinition

PDSInterfaceDefinition

PenetratorInterfaceDefinition


Penetrator Product Breakdown Structure

Penetrator

Platform Subsystems Science InstrumentsStructure

Thermal controlCommunicationsPowerDigital Electronics

SeismometerGeochemistry packageWater/Volatiles packageHeat flowSample AcquisitionMagnetometerRadiation monitorAccelerometer/TiltSample imagerOther

ShellBaysImpact protectionThermal insulation

Descent Camera


International Engagement


MissionLevel

PDSLevel

PenetratorLevel

CommsLevel

CommsInterfaceDefinition

PDSInterfaceDefinition

PenetratorInterfaceDefinition

Mission Requirements

Science Requirements

Baseline Mission Architecture NASA support to Phase A


International Lunar Network

• MoonLITE is potentially the UK’s contribution to the ILN

• The MoonLITE orbiter could go on to become a relay communications orbiter for a future ILN

• (Penetrator data could be uplinked to other orbiters)

• (EOL satellites could provide useful artificial seismic events)


International Mission Participation

• Mission Level– Mission sub-system– Launch– Mission planning

• Penetrator Level– Contributions to penetrator elements and instruments

• Science Level– Contribution to science exploitation


Instrument AO

• Given a successful Phase A and UK funding approval:– During 2010/11 an International AO will be made for

penetrator payload instruments against a strawman payload

– Selection will be according to:• Scientific merit• Impact of penetrator systems budgets• Technological maturity/risk


Mission Risks

• Technical credibility– Parallel technology demonstration

• Cost• Loss of focus


Please contact Rob Gowen ([email protected])

An Update on MoonLITE

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