goddard 2015: jeffrey plescia, johns hopkins university
TRANSCRIPT
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
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.
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
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