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By European Space Agency
Imagine a near future where services such as satellite navigation, video conferencing, and file sharing are as seamless on the Moon as they are on Earth.
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By NASA
4 Min Read Lunar Autonomy Mobility Pathfinder Workshop: A NASA Chief Technologist Sponsored Workshop
OVERVIEW
The NASA chief technologist’s team, within the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS), is hosting a Lunar Autonomy Mobility Pathfinder (LAMP) workshop on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, to provide a community forum to discuss modeling and simulation testbeds in this domain. The workshop is in coordination with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
With the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. Technologies like trusted autonomy are necessary to support these types of sustained operations. Trusted autonomy is a more robust level of autonomy designed for long-term operational use.
The LAMP workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Black Fire Innovation Facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Black Fire Innovation Center Building is located at 8400 W. Sunset Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89113, approximately 20 minutes from the UNLV main campus.
This workshop has been designed to coincide with the 2024 Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium fall meeting (also taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada).
The OTPS solver-in-residence is the main organizer and facilitator for this workshop.
PROGRAM
The LAMP workshop will provide a forum for a discussion on topics that include:
A modeling and simulation (M&S) pathfinder to explore an integrated sim environment for lunar stakeholders from commercial industry, other U.S. government agencies, international partners and academia, to simulate their systems that would eventually operate in the lunar environment and to test interoperability between systems. How to leverage the planned rover missions to 1) calibrate and improve this M&S environment over time, and 2) potentially use them as autonomy testbeds to safely mature algorithms in a relevant environment. Please RSVP for in-person or virtual attendance by registering at the following site:
https://nasaevents.webex.com/weblink/register/rdf4dd38bc3bf176dc32d147513f7b77c
*Please note registration is on an individual basis. If attending with multiple guests, each guest must register for the event separately.
LAMP Workshop Agenda
(All times listed are in PST and subject to change)
10:00 a.m. – 12:00p.m.Modeling and Simulation (M&S) showcase (In-person only & optional)
This is an opportunity for interested participants to show their lunar simulation capabilities inside of UNLV’s Blackfire Innovation esports arena. Space is limited. Please indicate if you are interested in participating when you register, and we will reach out with additional information. 1:00 –2:00p.m.Challenges to Developing Trusted Autonomy
NASA will discuss the challenges of maturing autonomy that can be trusted to operate over long periods of time and how we can work together to overcome those challenges.2:00 –3:00p.m.Pre-Formulation Discussion of a Lunar Autonomy Mobility Pathfinder Modeling and Simulation Environment
Subject matter experts (SMEs) from NASA will layout thoughts on what a digital transformation pathfinder would look like that benefits lunar autonomy efforts across the globe. 3:00 – 3:15p.m.Break3:15 – 4:15p.m.Lunar Testbeds Discussion
This will be a discussion focused on how assets on the moon could be used as testbeds to generate truth data for Earth-based simulations and to validate that autonomy can be trusted in the lunar environment.4:15 – 5:00p.m.Polling and Discussions
Audience feedback will be solicited on various topics. This will include a pre-formulated series of questions and real time polls. CONTACT
For questions, please email:
Dr. Adam Yingling
2024 OTPS Solver-in-Residence
Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS)
NASA Headquarters
Email: adam.j.yingling@nasa.gov
The Solver-in-Residence (SiR) program is a one-year detail position with the chief technologist in NASA’s Office of Technology Policy and Strategy. The program enables a NASA civil servant to propose a one-year investigation on a specific technology challenge and then work to identify solutions to address those challenges.
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Last Updated Oct 10, 2024 EditorBill Keeter Related Terms
Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy (OTPS) Space Technology Mission Directorate View the full article
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
This video shows IPEx in the digital simulation environment.Credit: Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben/Beverly Jensen Space is hard, but it’s not all hardware.
The new Lunar Autonomy Challenge invites teams of students from U.S. colleges and universities to test their software development skills. Working entirely in virtual simulations of the Moon’s surface, teams will develop an autonomous agent using software that can accomplish pre-defined tasks without help from humans. These agents will be used to navigate a digital twin of NASA’s ISRU Pilot Excavator (IPEx) and map specified locations in the digital environment. The IPEx is an autonomous mobility robot engineered to efficiently collect and transport lunar regolith, the loose rocky material on the Moon’s surface.
Autonomous systems allow spacecraft, rovers, and robots to operate without relying on constant contact with astronauts or mission control. Before hardware is trusted to operate independently on location, which for Artemis missions includes the Moon, it must be tested virtually. High-fidelity virtual simulations allow NASA to anticipate and improve how systems, both software and hardware, will function in the physical world. Testing in virtual simulations also allows technologists to explore different mission scenarios, observe potential outcomes, and reduce risks.
In the Lunar Autonomy Challenge, students will develop their knowledge of autonomous systems by working with the same simulation tools created in-house by Caterpillar Inc. of Irving, Texas, over decades of research and development. Teams will need to utilize the IPEx digital twin’s cameras and orientation sensors to accurately map surface elevation and identify obstacles. Like with real lunar missions, teams must also manage their energy usage and consider the Moon’s harsh terrain and low-light conditions. Through the competition, participants will learn more about autonomous robotic operation, surface mapping, localization, orientation, path planning, and hazard detection.
Eligibility
Teams must be comprised of at least four undergraduate and/or graduate students and a faculty advisor at a U.S. college or university.
Challenge Timeline & Structure
The challenge will take place between November 2024 and May 2025 and will include both a qualifying round and a final round. Interested teams must apply by Thursday, Nov. 7.
Round 1: Selected teams will develop and train their agent using provided virtual environments. Teams will have three opportunities to submit their agent to run in a qualification environment. For each submission, their agent will be scored based on performance.
The top scoring teams will be invited to continue. Round 2: Teams will work to further refine the agents. Teams will have multiple opportunities in total to submit their agents to the competition environment. The top three teams will be named challenge winners. Challenge Guidelines
Interested teams should carefully review the Challenge Guidelines and the Lunar Autonomy Challenge site for more details, including proposal requirements, FAQs, and additional technical guidance.
Prizes
The top three highest-scoring teams on the leaderboard in the finals will be awarded cash prizes:
First Place: $10,000
Second Place: $5,000
Third Place: $3,000
Application Submissions
Applications must be submitted to NASA STEM Gateway by Nov. 7, 2024.
Learn more about the challenge: https://lunar-autonomy-challenge.jhuapl.edu
The Lunar Autonomy Challenge is a collaboration between NASA, The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Caterpillar Inc., and Embodied AI. APL is managing the challenge for NASA.
NASA’s ISRU Pilot Excavator (IPEx) during a flight-like demonstration at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works testing facility. Credit: NASA Authored by: Stephanie Yeldell, Education Integration Lead
Space Technology Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
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NASA’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative
ISRU Pilot Excavator
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By NASA
Illustration of logistics elements on the lunar surface. NASA NASA is asking U.S. industry to submit innovative architecture solutions that could help the agency land and move cargo on the lunar surfaced during future Artemis missions. Released in September, the agency’s request for proposal also supports NASA’s broader Moon to Mars Objectives.
Previously, NASA published two white papers outlining lunar logistics and mobility gaps as part of its Moon to Mars architecture development effort that augmented an earlier white paper on logistics considerations. The current ask, Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies, expects proposing companies to consider these publications, which describe NASA’s future needs for logistics and mobility.
“NASA relies on collaborations from diverse partners to develop its exploration architecture,” said Nujoud Merancy, deputy associate administrator, strategy and architecture in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Studies like this allow the agency to leverage the incredible expertise in the commercial aerospace community.”
Lunar Logistics Drivers, Needs
Logistics items, including food, water, air, and spare parts, comprise a relatively large portion of the cargo NASA expects to need to move around on the Moon, including at the lunar South Pole where the agency plans to send crew in the future.
The Lunar Logistics Drivers and Needs white paper outlines the importance of accurately predicting logistics resupply needs, as they can heavily influence the overall architecture and design of exploration missions.
As the agency progresses into more complex lunar missions, NASA will require more and more lunar logistics as the agency increases mission frequency and duration. This current proposal seeks industry studies that could help inform NASA’s approach to this growing need.
Lunar Mobility Drivers, Needs
The white paper discusses the transportation of landed cargo and exploration assets from where they are delivered to where they are used, such as to locations with ideal lighting, away from ascent vehicle landing sites, or near other assets. These distances can range from yards to miles away from landing locations, and the ability to move around landing sites easily and quickly are key to exploring the lunar surface efficiently.
NASA’s current planned lunar mobility elements, such as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle and Pressurized Rover, have a capability limit of about 1,760 pounds (800 kilograms) and will primarily be used to transport astronauts around the lunar surface. However, future missions could include a need to move cargo totaling around 4,400 to 13,000 pounds (2,000 to 6,000 kg). To meet this demand, NASA must develop new mobility capabilities with its partners.
Lunar Surface Cargo
The Lunar Surface Cargo white paper characterizes lunar surface cargo delivery needs, compares those needs with current cargo lander capabilities, and outlines considerations for fulfilling this capability gap. While cargo delivery capabilities currently included in the Moon to Mars architecture — like CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) and human-class delivery landers — can meet near-term needs, there are substantial gaps for future needs.
Access to a diverse fleet of cargo landers would empower a larger lunar exploration footprint. A combination of international partnerships and U.S. industry-provided landers could supply the concepts and capabilities to meet this need. The request for proposals doesn’t explicitly seek new lander concepts but does ask for integrated assessments of logistics that can include transportation elements.
“We’re looking for industry to offer creative insights that can inform our logistics and mobility strategy,” said Brooke Thornton, industry engagement lead for NASA’s Strategy and Architecture Office. “Ultimately, we’re hoping to grow our awareness of the unique capabilities that are or could become a part of the commercial lunar marketplace.”
This is the latest appendix to NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2). Solicitations under NextSTEP seek commercial development of capabilities that empower crewed exploration in deep space. NASA published the latest NextSTEP omnibus, NextSTEP-3, on Sept. 27.
Request for Proposals
https://sam.gov/opp/2291c465203240388302bb1f126c3db9/view
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By NASA
5 min read
NASA’s LRO: Lunar Ice Deposits are Widespread
Deposits of ice in lunar dust and rock (regolith) are more extensive than previously thought, according to a new analysis of data from NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) mission. Ice would be a valuable resource for future lunar expeditions. Water could be used for radiation protection and supporting human explorers, or broken into its hydrogen and oxygen components to make rocket fuel, energy, and breathable air.
Prior studies found signs of ice in the larger permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the lunar South Pole, including areas within Cabeus, Haworth, Shoemaker and Faustini craters. In the new work, “We find that there is widespread evidence of water ice within PSRs outside the South Pole, towards at least 77 degrees south latitude,” said Dr. Timothy P. McClanahan of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and lead author of a paper on this research published October 2 in the Planetary Science Journal.
The study further aids lunar mission planners by providing maps and identifying the surface characteristics that show where ice is likely and less likely to be found, with evidence for why that should be. “Our model and analysis show that greatest ice concentrations are expected to occur near the PSRs’ coldest locations below 75 Kelvin (-198°C or -325°F) and near the base of the PSRs’ poleward-facing slopes,” said McClanahan.
This illustration shows the distribution of permanently shadowed regions (in blue) on the Moon poleward of 80 degrees South latitude. They are superimposed on a digital elevation map of the lunar surface (grey) from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument on board NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. NASA/GSFC/Timothy P. McClanahan “We can’t accurately determine the volume of the PSRs’ ice deposits or identify if they might be buried under a dry layer of regolith. However, we expect that for each surface 1.2 square yards (square meter) residing over these deposits there should be at least about five more quarts (five more liters) of ice within the surface top 3.3 feet (meter), as compared to their surrounding areas,” said McClanahan. The study also mapped where fewer, smaller, or lower-concentration ice deposits would be expected, occurring primarily towards warmer, periodically illuminated areas.
Ice could become implanted in lunar regolith through comet and meteor impacts, released as vapor (gas) from the lunar interior, or be formed by chemical reactions between hydrogen in the solar wind and oxygen in the regolith. PSRs typically occur in topographic depressions near the lunar poles. Because of the low Sun angle, these areas haven’t seen sunlight for up to billions of years, so are perpetually in extreme cold. Ice molecules are thought to be repeatedly dislodged from the regolith by meteorites, space radiation, or sunlight and travel across the lunar surface until they land in a PSR where they are entrapped by extreme cold. The PSR’s continuously cold surfaces can preserve ice molecules near the surface for perhaps billions of years, where they may accumulate into a deposit that is rich enough to mine. Ice is thought to be quickly lost on surfaces that are exposed to direct sunlight, which precludes their accumulations.
The team used LRO’s Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) instrument to detect signs of ice deposits by measuring moderate-energy, “epithermal” neutrons. Specifically, the team used LEND’s Collimated Sensor for Epithermal Neutrons (CSETN) that has a fixed 18.6-mile (30-kilometer) diameter field-of-view. Neutrons are created by high-energy galactic cosmic rays that come from powerful deep-space events such as exploding stars, that impact the lunar surface, break up regolith atoms, and scatter subatomic particles called neutrons. The neutrons, which can originate from up to about a 3.3-foot (meter’s) depth, ping-pong their way through the regolith, running into other atoms. Some get directed into space, where they can be detected by LEND. Since hydrogen is about the same mass as a neutron, a collision with hydrogen causes the neutron to lose relatively more energy than a collision with most common regolith elements. So, where hydrogen is present in regolith, its concentration creates a corresponding reduction in the observed number of moderate-energy neutrons.
“We hypothesized that if all PSRs have the same hydrogen concentration, then CSETN should proportionally detect their hydrogen concentrations as a function of their areas. So, more hydrogen should be observed towards the larger-area PSRs,” said McClanahan.
The model was developed from a theoretical study that demonstrated how similarly hydrogen-enhanced PSRs would be detected by CSETNs fixed-area field-of-view. The correlation was demonstrated using the neutron emissions from 502 PSRs with areas ranging from 1.5 square miles (4 km2) to 417 square miles (1079 km2) that contrasted against their surrounding less hydrogen-enhanced areas. The correlation was expectedly weak for the small PSRs but increased towards the larger-area PSRs.
The research was sponsored by the LRO project science team, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Artificial Intelligence Working Group, and NASA grant award number 80GSFC21M0002. The study was conducted using NASA’s LRO Diviner radiometer and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instruments. The LEND instrument was developed by the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos by its Space Research Institute (IKI). LEND was integrated to the LRO spacecraft at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. LRO is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
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Last Updated Oct 03, 2024 Editor wasteigerwald Contact wasteigerwald william.a.steigerwald@nasa.gov Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
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