scholarly journals Evidence of large empty lava tubes on the Moon using GRAIL gravity

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loic Chappaz ◽  
Rohan Sood ◽  
Henry J. Melosh ◽  
Kathleen C. Howell ◽  
David M. Blair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Moon ◽  
Lava Tubes

scholarly journals Detection of Intact Lava Tubes at Marius Hills on the Moon by SELENE (Kaguya) Lunar Radar Sounder

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (20) ◽  
pp. 10,155-10,161 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kaku ◽  
J. Haruyama ◽  
W. Miyake ◽  
A. Kumamoto ◽  
K. Ishiyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Moon ◽  
Lava Tubes ◽  
Radar Sounder

scholarly journals Food for Extra-Terrestrial Astronaut Missions on Native Soil

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Pouwels ◽  
Wieger Wamelink ◽  
Michaela Musilova ◽  
Bernard Foing
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Radiation Shielding ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Garden Cress ◽  
Agricultural Ecosystem ◽  
Lava Tubes ◽  
Local Soil

<p><strong>Introduction:   </strong>Food demand and the lack of plant nutrients are the main reasons to establish a sustainable agricultural ecosystem on celestial bodies, such as Mars and the Moon. Different kinds of fresh crops, grown in a greenhouse, deliver essential macro and micro nutrients, which have a positive impact on the well-being  of humans. Thus, they will also heavily influence the social interactions of future astronauts. Food development is therefore one of the main activities that will need to be established as soon as possible upon the landing of a human-led mission on another planetary body.</p><p>In addition, crops can be used for air purification and thus oxygen production. Experimental research has been conducted, during a two-week analogue astronaut mission (EMMIHS-II: the second of the EuroMoonMars-IMA-HI-SEAS missions), to grow crops, from garden cress seeds, sown in soil that resembles the regolith on Mars and the Moon. This plant was used because it is easy and fast to grow, which is a priority for research projects during these short-duration missions. In addition, this research will help in reducing compost and fertilizer payloads for upcoming space missions involving human crewmembers.</p><p><strong>Methodology:  </strong>In a remote volcanic region in Hawai’i, United States, the geology and therefore its soil is quite similar to the regolith on Mars and the Moon. For these reasons, the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulations (HI-SEAS) habitat was constructed and is being used in this area for space-related research purposes.</p><p>In this habitat, a greenhouse setting had been built with basic requirements for plant growth. The local soil in each of the 70 pots had pre-determined ratio’s with a compost mixture: 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%.  For these settings, the assumption was made that shielding from Solar Energetic Particles (SEP) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR’s) was present. These types of radiation, and thus shielding from the radiation, would be of high relevance on Mars and the Moon to protect the crops there from malformations and death. Future habitats may be located in lava tubes or covered by regolith to address these requirements.</p><p>Here, the presented results focus on the needed ratio of compost to ‘Martian’ simulant soil for garden cress. The results indicate that coarse ‘Martian’ soil with 2% of compost is sufficient for establishing sufficient germination and plant growth in the first stage of plant development. This result leads to promising expectations for other nutrient-soil ratio experiments. In particular for the growth of potatoes and beans, as they are high in nutrients per m<sup>3</sup>.</p><p>Studies on different kinds of soil ratio’s, nutrients delivered per m<sup>3</sup>, radiation shielding and the architecture of an indoor greenhouse setting are of significant relevance to future missions to the Moon and Mars and thus deserve further investigation.</p><p> </p>

Highs and lows: Using GPR to map cinder cones, lava flows, and lava tubes on Earth to support studies of the Moon and Mars

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Kruse ◽  
Sanaz Esmaeili ◽  
Sajad Jazayeri ◽  
Soraya Alfred ◽  
Ernie Bell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lava Flows ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lava Tubes ◽  
Cinder Cones

Lava tubes on Earth, Moon and Mars: a review on their size and morphology revealed by comparative planetology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Sauro ◽  
Riccardo Pozzobon ◽  
Matteo Massironi ◽  
Pierluigi De Bernardinis ◽  
Tommaso Santagata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Expression ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Academic Press ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lava Tube ◽  
Geophysical Research ◽  
Lava Tubes ◽  
Morphometric Characters ◽  
Size And Morphology ◽  
Radar Sounder

<p>Sinuous collapse chains and skylights in Lunar and Martian volcanic regions have often been interpreted as collapsed lava tubes (also known as pyroducts, [1]). This hypothesis has fostered a forty years debate among planetary geologists trying to define if analogue volcano-speleogenetic processes acting on Earth could have created similar subsurface linear voids in extra-terrestrial volcanoes. On Earth lava tubes are well known thanks to speleological exploration and mapping in several shield volcanoes, with examples showing different genetic processes (inflation and overcrusting [1, 2, 3]) and morphometric characters. On the Moon subsurface cavities have been inferred from several skylights in maria smooth plains [4], and corroborated using gravimetry and radar sounder [5, 6] while on Mars several deep skylights have been identified on lava flows with striking similarities with terrestrial cases [7]. Nonetheless, a clear understanding of the potential morphologies and dimensions of martian and lunar lava tubes remains elusive.</p> <p>Although it is still impossible to gather direct information on the interior of martian and lunar lava tube candidates, scientists have the possibility to investigate their surface expression through the analysis of collapses and skylight morphology, morphometry and their arrangement, and compare these findings with terrestrial analogues. In this work we performed a morphological and morphometric comparison with lava tube candidate collapse chains on Mars and the Moon.</p> <p>By comparing literature and speleological data from terrestrial analogues and measuring lunar and martian collapse chains on satellite images and digital terrain models (DTMs), this review sheds light on tube size, depth from surface, eccentricity and several other morphometric parameters among the three different planetary bodies. The dataset here presented indicates that martian and lunar tubes are 1 to 3 orders of magnitude more voluminous than on Earth and suggests that the same processes of inflation and overcrusting were active on Mars, while deep inflation and thermal entrenchment was the predominant mechanism of emplacement on the Moon. Even with these outstanding dimensions (with total volumes exceeding 1 billion of m<sup>3</sup>), lunar tubes remain well within the roof stability threshold. The analysis shows that aside of collapses triggered by impacts/tectonics, most of the lunar tubes could be intact, making the Moon an extraordinary target for subsurface exploration and potential settlement in the wide protected and stable environments of lava tubes.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>[1] Kempe, S., 2019. Volcanic rock caves, Encyclopedia of Caves (Third edition). Academic Press, pp. 1118-1127</p> <p>[2] Calvari, S. and Pinkerton, H., 1999. Lava tube morphology on Etna and evidence for lava flow emplacement mechanisms. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 90(3-4): 263-280.</p> <p>[3] Sauro, F., Pozzobon, R., Santagata, T., Tomasi, I., Tonello, M., Martínez-Frías, J., Smets, L.M.J., Gómez, G.D.S. and Massironi, M., 2019. Volcanic Caves of Lanzarote: A Natural Laboratory for Understanding Volcano-Speleogenetic Processes and Planetary Caves, Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands Geopark: From Earth to Space. Springer, pp. 125-142.</p> <p>[4] Haruyama, J., Morota, T., Kobayashi, S., Sawai, S., Lucey, P.G., Shirao, M. and Nishino, M.N., 2012. Lunar holes and lava tubes as resources for lunar science and exploration, Moon. Springer, pp. 139-163.</p> <p>[5] Chappaz, L., Sood, R., Melosh, H.J., Howell, K.C., Blair, D.M., Milbury, C. and Zuber, M.T., 2017. Evidence of large empty lava tubes on the Moon using GRAIL gravity. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(1): 105-112</p> <p>[6] Kaku, T., Haruyama, J., Miyake, W., Kumamoto, A., Ishiyama, K., Nishibori, T., Yamamoto, K., Crites, S.T., Michikami, T. and Yokota, Y., 2017. Detection of intact lava tubes at marius hills on the moon by selene (kaguya) lunar radar sounder. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(20).</p> <p>[7] Cushing, G.E., 2012. Candidate cave entrances on Mars. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 74(1): 33-47</p>

Simulating lava tube exploration research during analog lunar and Martian missions at HI-SEAS in Hawaii 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Musilova ◽  
Bernard Foing ◽  
Henk Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Life Support ◽  
Space Exploration ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Research Station ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lava Tube ◽  
Geophysical Research ◽  
Lava Tubes ◽  
Varied Duration ◽  
Biochemical Research

<p>Lava tube exploration has become an important part of discussions relating to the search for life on Mars by both humans and robots. On Mars, lava tubes may contain biosignatures and existing lifeforms. Alternatively, on the Moon, lava tubes may serve as sheltered environments for the construction of human settlements. Nevertheless, lava tubes can also be difficult environments for robotic operations and they can pose a safety hazard to humans as well. It will thus be extremely important to prepare for lava tube exploration by humans and robots in analog environments on Earth. The Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) habitat is a lunar and Martian analog research station located on the volcano Mauna Loa in Hawaii. The International MoonBase Alliance (IMA) organises missions at HI-SEAS, during which crews of six analog astronauts perform research and technology testing relevant to the exploration of the Moon and Mars. The missions that take place at HI-SEAS can be of varied duration, from several days to several months, depending on the needs of the researchers. They are open to space agencies, organizations and companies worldwide to take part in, provided their research and technology testing will help contribute to the exploration of the Moon and Mars. Since the HI-SEAS habitat is located on lava flows, its surroundings provide valuable access to performing high-fidelity planetary science fieldwork with very little plant or animal life present, and a wide variety of volcanic features to explore, such as lava tubes, channels, and tumuli. This terrain is also ideal for rover and in situ resource utilization (ISRU) testing because of its great similarity to the basaltic terrains on the Moon and Mars. HI-SEAS crews have performed a number of biochemical and geophysical research projects in the lava tubes accessible to them near the habitat. They explored and collected research samples while wearing Extra-vehicular Activity (EVA) analog spacesuits and following strict EVA protocols. These activities are very challenging for the crew, due to the bulky gloves and EVA equipment they have to wear, while performing precise biochemical research that is sensitive to contamination. The crews also have to take into consideration their safety, their limited life support systems during EVAs and a number of other factors relevant to space exploration missions. Further studies will be needed to assess how best to combine scientific goals with human exploration goals during future human missions, which may use lava tubes as a resource as well as a key site for scientific research.</p>

scholarly journals Method for Identifying Lava Tubes Among Pit Craters Using Brightness Profile Across Pits on the Moon or Mars

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jongil Jung ◽  
Ik-Seon Hong ◽  
Eunjin Cho ◽  
Yu Yi
Keyword(s):  
The Moon ◽  
Lava Tubes

Contribution of Gravity to Lunar Science, Exploration and Resource Assessment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria T. Zuber ◽  
David E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Gravity Field ◽  
Resource Assessment ◽  
Upper Crust ◽  
Lunar Gravity ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lava Tubes ◽  
High Resolution Models ◽  
Shallow Crust ◽  
Outer Crust

<p>The recent development of high-resolution models of the lunar gravity field based on data from the NASA GRAIL mission have been instrumental in gaining knowledge about the structure of the Moon, and particularly, of the upper crust. Beneath the outer layer GRAIL data reveal evidence of massive ancient dikes and past processes that no longer have any surficial expression due to heavy bombardment during the Moon’s post-accretional epoch that pulverized the shallow crust. The gravity field of this outer crust, with lower density and higher porosity than expected, also reveals anomalies that indicate the presence of regions of even lower density possibly indicating the existence of lava tubes, as well as regions of higher density where mass anomalies could conceivably indicate locations of resources. Lava tubes, long suspected of existing beneath the maria, are places protected from particle and EM radiation and therefore potential locations for safe location of humans.  Gravity anomaly regions are thus prime locations for exploration studies that could help sustain a human presence. The use of high-resolution  gravity in lunar exploration, as well as science, is a tool for survivability for human expeditions.</p>

scholarly journals A parametric data handling evaluation framework for autonomous lunar networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine Rimani ◽  
Luigi Mascolo ◽  
Juan A. Fraire
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Data Handling ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Lava Tubes ◽  
Communication Architecture ◽  
Parametric Data ◽  
Bent Pipe ◽  
Data Volume ◽  
Store And Forward

AbstractDifferent and exciting exploration opportunities toward the Moon are opening in this decade. In particular, the major space agencies are putting a considerable effort in designing and studying a broad spectrum of missions that will bring back the humans on the Moon. During the evaluation of Lunar mission concepts, having a tool that can quickly assess the best communication and data-handling architecture given a set of satellites and a site of interest is mandatory. In this work, a novel parametric framework is presented and applied to the study of the expected connectivity of Lunar networks. The framework comprises bent-pipe, store-and-forward and store-carry-and-forward networking approaches, covering most common data management options. The methodology is designed to determine the best communication architecture given an arbitrary set of available satellites, ground stations, point of interest, and data volume. The proposed algorithm has been applied in a motivating case study of a networked mission devoted to observing lava tubes sites on the Moon surface. Results validate the approach which can identify the inflection points where different data handling techniques outperform each other.

The motion of a lunar orbiter

1966 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 373
Author(s):  
Y. Kozai
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Dimensional Space ◽  
Artificial Satellite ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Triaxial Ellipsoid ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Secular Motion ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Close Satellite ◽  
The Mean

The motion of an artificial satellite around the Moon is much more complicated than that around the Earth, since the shape of the Moon is a triaxial ellipsoid and the effect of the Earth on the motion is very important even for a very close satellite.The differential equations of motion of the satellite are written in canonical form of three degrees of freedom with time depending Hamiltonian. By eliminating short-periodic terms depending on the mean longitude of the satellite and by assuming that the Earth is moving on the lunar equator, however, the equations are reduced to those of two degrees of freedom with an energy integral.Since the mean motion of the Earth around the Moon is more rapid than the secular motion of the argument of pericentre of the satellite by a factor of one order, the terms depending on the longitude of the Earth can be eliminated, and the degree of freedom is reduced to one.Then the motion can be discussed by drawing equi-energy curves in two-dimensional space. According to these figures satellites with high inclination have large possibilities of falling down to the lunar surface even if the initial eccentricities are very small.The principal properties of the motion are not changed even if plausible values ofJ3andJ4of the Moon are included.This paper has been published in Publ. astr. Soc.Japan15, 301, 1963.

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