Space Apps Challenge 2018

Challenge: Mission to the Moon!

One of the next goals of space exploration is the creation of a settle on Moon or on Mars. The goal of the Lunar Explorer for Ground Optimization (L.E.G.O) is to identify the best location to built a base on the Moon’s surface. To accomplish this goal, L.E.G.O is going to use several technics to identify the mechanical and chemical properties of the ground.

First of all we have to find the best landing site location. We chose the South Pole of the Moon because of the ice concentration and specifically the south pole Aitken basin because it is the largest, oldest and deepest basin on the lunar surface.

The mission goals separate on:

• Safe landing
• Easy traveling
• Water search and analysis
• Mechanical and chemical properties of rocks
• Information about the geological past of the Moon

Lunar Explorer for Ground Optimization’s Technical Skills to identify the quality of rocks and the quantity of water in the Lunar Surface.

Mechanical properties

• Uniaxial compressive strength
• Ultimate tentsile strength

Chemical properties

-XRF- bulk composition of the rocks

-FTIR- mineralogical composition, concentration in water

-Laser Ablation- trace elements concentration

References

Mitrofanov, I. G., Sanin, A. B., Boynton, W. V., Chin, G., Garvin, J. B., Golovin, D., ... & Malakhov, A. (2010). Hydrogen mapping of the lunar south pole using the LRO neutron detector experiment LEND. science, 330(6003), 483-486.

Pieters, C. M., Head, J. W., Gaddis, L., Jolliff, B., & Duke, M. (2001). Rock types of South Pole‐Aitken basin and extent of basaltic volcanism. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 106(E11), 28001-28022.