Goddard 2015: Jeffrey Plescia, Johns Hopkins University

Humans at the Moon: Science and Experience Opportunities

What’s up with the Global Exploration Roadmap?

J. PlesciaThe Johns Hopkins University – Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel MD

March 12, 2015

On the Cusp: What’s Next?

53rd Goddard Memorial Symposium

Mission Architectures

CIs-lunar Space

LunarSurface

Don’t We Already Know Everything About the Moon?

Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon: Final Report

Bombardment history of the inner solar system uniquely revealed on the Moon.

Structure and composition of the lunar interior provide fundamental information on the evolution of a differentiated body.

Key planetary processes are manifested in diversity of lunar crustal rocks.

The lunar poles are special environments that may bear witness to the volatile flux over the latter part of solar system history.

Lunar volcanism provides a window into the thermal and compositional evolution of the Moon.

The Moon is an accessible laboratory for studying the impact process on planetary scales.

The Moon is a natural laboratory for regolith processes and weathering on anhydrous airless bodies.

Processes involved with the atmosphere and dust environment of the Moon are accessible for scientific study while the environment remains in a pristine state.

Apollo Surface Exploration

Apollo 11 Traverse

Apollo 17 Traverse

A16, John Young, Shadow Rock

A11, Neil Armstrong, Little West

A15, David Scott,

Seat belt rock –

vesicular basalt

A15, David Scott, Imbrium

ejecta block at Station 7

Humans – Unique - Observations Skills

Humans - Unique – Observational Skills

A17, Jack Schmitt, Source of

Station 6 boulder on North Massif

A17 Jack Schmitt, Orange soil at Shorty Crater

Humans - Unique – Sampling Dexterity

Camelot Crater

Orange soil

Shorty Crater

Regolith breccia

Van Serg Crater Tracy’s rock

Station 6

Humans - Unique – Manual Dexterity and Innovation

116:46:50 Bean: ...go get that hammer and bang on the side of it.

116:48:41 Bean: They're not in now because I'm lining them up. Just a damn minute. Now they are all the way in. They're all the way...Not quite. That bottom one down there's... (Pause) Now, my recommendation would be pound on the casket, then ... you know.

[Pete begins hitting on the side of the cask with the flat of the hammer.]

116:48:56 Bean: Hey, that's doing it! Give it a few more pounds. (Pause) Got to beat harder than that. (Pause) Keep going. It's coming out. It's coming out! (Pause) Pound harder.

116:49:08 Conrad: Keep going.

116:49:10 Bean: (Laughs, cheering him on) Come on, Conrad!

116:49:14 Conrad: Keep going, baby.

116:49:15 Bean: That hammer's a universal tool.

116:49:17 Conrad: You better believe it...

Alan Bean removing RTG cask from LM.

Humans - Unique – Manual Dexterity and Innovation

AS15-92-12407

AS17-137-2097

Drilling – heat flow probe insertion

Gene and Jack’s Body Shop

Humans - Non-Unique – Manual Labor

Buzz Aldrin deploying ALSEP

Jack Schmitt reading gravity meter

Cis-Lunar Space Opportunities

Lagrange point observatory

Earth – Near Side Moon - L1

Far Side Moon – L2

Deep Space - L2

Telerobotics – Lunar surface (direct control, monitoring autonomous systems)

Surface Opportunities

The Moon is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.

I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to the Moon.

Short Duration Surface Mission

Global access

Relatively short stay time

Limited mobility (tens of km)

Search for bedrock

Detailed sampling

Regolith study

History of the sun

Volatiles in the solar system

Vertical and horizontal variation

Science Objectives - Regolith Formation / Evolution

AS15-89-12115

Regolith Studies

Regolith develops due to meteoroid bombardment (macro to micro).

Complex layered medium.

Vertical and lateral trenching.

Detailed understanding of the stratigraphy.

Delicate focused sampling.

AS17-142-21720 AS16-107-17458

Long Duration Surface Mission

Extended surface presence

Mobility 100’s km

Extended surface operations

Impact cratering history

Any sample will provide data relevant to a range of questions

Science Objectives - Absolute Chronology

Sample numerous craters of different size

Melt material on the floor and rim

Glass lining

Extensively explore target crater(s)

Bombardment history of the inner solar system.

Early cataclysm?

Episodic variations over the last 0-3 Ga?

Oldest ferroan anorthosites ~4.42 Ga

Suggested cataclysm 4.0-3.7 Ga

Nectaris ~3.9 Ga

Crisium 3.89 Ga

Imbrium: 3.85 + 0.2 Ga

Mare lavas

Luna 16 3.4 Ga

Apollo 15 3.3 Ga

Luna 24 3.2 Ga

Apollo 12: 3.1 Ga

AS16-106-17242

A15-44512

Summary

Many major scientific questions remaining.

Environment, surface and interior

Pure science – applied science

Global access and samples are key.

Moon provides a test bed

Low gravity

Deep space environment

Dirty

Complex

Lunar science doesn’t end. Questions are addressed, understanding matures, new problems are discovered, new techniques are developed, new samples are acquired, analysis continues.

Scientia facultas explorationis Exploratio facultas scientiae

Progress is not a shot in the dark, but a series of logical steps.

There can be no thought of finishing, for aiming at the stars, both literally and figuratively, is the work of generations, but no matter how much progress one makes there is always the thrill of just beginning.

Robert Goddard