Speaker
Description
A Lunar Environment Analysis Package that could be deployed by crew or robotically (AstroLEAP) is being prepared as a potential European contribution to a landed missions (e.g., Artemis IV) [1-3]. AstroLEAP aims to provide in-situ measurements to help understand the complex interactions and dynamics of the ‘dusty’ lunar surface with solar radiation, space plasma, energetic particles, meteoritic flux, and exosphere. Such measurements will help to characterise the associated physical mechanisms acting at the surface [e.g., 4-10] to constrain exploration environment models addressing both fundamental scientific questions and preparation for safe and sustained lunar surface operations [1-3]. Furthermore, AstroLEAP takes advantage of the Moon as a unique vantage point to characterise the Earth magnetosphere environments (magnetosheath, magnetotail lobes and plasma sheet) and upstream solar wind. A key design driver for the analysis package is the requirement for long duration (1-5 years) in situ surface operations, to understand the impact of temporally variable conditions on the environment dynamics, e.g., different illumination, solar wind flux, magnetospheric plasma populations (within and outside of the Earth’s magnetotail); solar events (e.g., CMEs, SEPs); meteoroid impacts, etc. [4-10].
Science definition: The complete facility shall thereby be composed of an analytical instrument suite supported by a payload servicing module providing long-term power, communications, power conversion and data storage/transfer. The science case informing AstroLEAP development studies has been elaborated as a result of an international Facility Definition Team (FDT) [11]. This includes: a) Identifying and con-straining prioritised objectives traceable to exploration science questions; b) flowing down objectives into a science traceability matrix, including measure-ment performance capabilities, and deployment and functional requirements; c) Elaborating science products and associated example analytical techniques/instrumentation that can be applied to addressing the identified measurements.
Findings: The FDT findings, which draw on the experience and expertise of the European research community within the fields of space weather and exploration environments will be presented. These include:
- A comprehensive review of the current environmental knowledge related to the lunar surface environments: Solar Wind and Magnetospheric plasmas, energetic particles (GCRs, SEPs and albedo energetic (IDP), interstellar dust (ISD), ejecta, naturally mobilized dust populations, and exosphere as well as magnetic and electrical environments (e.g. near surface magnetic and electric fields, surface potential, regolith electrical properties).
- Human and Robotic Exploration enabling models, critical parameters and knowledge gaps.
- Identification of potential measurements techniques and surface sensors enabling the characterisation of the near-surface lunar environment and related observational constraints.
References:
[1] ESA Strategy for Science at the Moon (2019); [2] Artemis III SDT Report (2021); [3] ESA Explore 2040 (in prep.); [4] Dandouras, I. et al. (2023) Front. Astron. Space Sci., 10: 1120302 ; [5] Grün, E. et al. (2011) PSS, 59, 1672-1680 ; [6] Futaana, Y. et al. (2018) PSS, 156, 23-40 ; [7] Wurz et al. (2022) Space Sci. Rev., 218, 10 ; [8] Farrel, W.M. et al. (2023) Rev. In Min. & Geochem., 89, 563-609 ; [9] Denevi, B.W. et al. (2023) Rev. In Min. & Geochem., 89, 611-650 ;
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