In a scene that could be straight out of a Pixar movie, two adorable robots crawled across a simulated moon surface in search of water. One rover even looks a bit like WALL-E.
However, the excursion is not for entertainment. It’s a recent simulation at DLR (the German space agency) that tries to help the future. Sagebrush astronaut moon Missions with the search for water ice.
Astronauts need water to live, cook, and rocket fuel. The less water they can bring with them from Landthe easier it will be to save costs during the launch, where every euro counts. And if machines can detect H2O early, that will save astronauts valuable time for other purposes.
Light Rover Unit 1, or LRU1, the machine that looks a bit like WALL-E, mapped the simulated lunar surface at the Luna Analog Facility in Cologne. The panoramic camera on its head allowed the rover to “see” both at visual wavelengths (what astronauts can see with unaided eyes) and at wavelengths beyond human vision, allowing it to explore minerals or ice.
LRU1 also pulled a trailer with a ground-penetrating radar to obtain an image of the subsurface. Meanwhile, the LRU2 machine followed its partner’s lead. Then, after knowing where to go, LRU2 made a bank: It used a robotic arm and a laser to do spectroscopy, or mapping light patterns, to analyze rock samples. Because water has already been found in lunar rocks, embedded in volcanic glass crystals or mineral grains, lasing on promising rocks may be important.
DLR says working in difficult conditions on the Moon requires mobility and that is why two rovers are involved. “Combining different methods offers advantages” when it comes to learning about the surface and what lies beneath, according to a statement from Nicole Schmitz, a planetary scientist at the DLR Space Research Institute. And this mission, which was the first test of the technology provided by several participating entities, demonstrated that “all the elements are working,” he added.
Schmitz led the Polar Explorer campaign in which the rovers participated, along with the facility team. And the initial results are promising: the rovers found the water ice the astronauts needed. Now, scientists are checking the data in more detail to see what can be done in the next round of practice. Researchers can add the information from this round of testing to another in which the rovers Climbed the Etna volcano in 2022.
The new Luna mission included some challenging hotspots, including a simulated lava cave. The survey also had difficulties: Some of the water was only revealed through a (pre-established) network of seismic cables that ran through the regolith stacked nine feet (three meters) deep. The water signal appeared after an artificial seismic source generated a mini moonquake, which created vibrations that revealed the H2O.
While there is no firm flight date for this rover team, representatives hope Polar Explorer will be selected for a future Argonaut lander mission. Argonaut is named after the famous Argonauts of ancient Greek mythology, who sailed on the ship Argo in search of an artifact to restore their leader, Jason, to his rightful reign.
The Moon-sailing Argonaut is a lander concept from the European Space Agency (ESA), of which DLR is a part. ESA officials hope to launch first Argonaut mission as early as 2031 in support of Artemis, transporting technology for navigation, energy and telecommunications to the lunar side.
#lunar #rovers #cameras #lasers #search #simulated #water #ice #WALLE
