Space Apps Challenge 2018

EQUIPE ORBI WHITE

A WAY TO SELENE

Enabling a permanent interpost in lunar enviorenment

• 1 MISSION

The team proposes a lunar mission script with four diferente scopes, all of it converging to the same objective. Whereas taking off from the lunar surface is more feasible than from Earth, taking into account the gravitational difference between these bodies, which is five times smaller. Less fuel is needed on a rocket to escape the gravitational influence of the Moon compared to Earth. In addition, it represents an opportunity to slow down the intensive exploitation of terrestrial natural resources. The areas of operation will be obtainment of resources for future use "in situ", mapping of underground structures and validation of manufacturing technologies from local resources.

• 2 METHODOLOGY

The mission is divided into two different segments, the first one will be performed by a rover on the lunar surface, while the second will be operated by a satellite in orbit, named selene[1] orbiter, assisting the rover readings.
To locate the resources required, the vehicle will have a sensor device capable of detecting frozen water in the craters, indispensable for any human endeavor, having an even greater application on the Moon, since it can be decomposed into hydrogen fuel and oxidant, propellant for rockets. In view of the high applicability of this feature, the rover will perform an analysis of the ice found through.

It is also possible to identify from helium-3 spectrometry, a non-radioactive and extremely rare compound on Earth, used as fuel in fusion reactors, representing a long-term alternative for the maintenance and continuity of a permanent settlement in lunar soil, becoming economically viable.

For the mapping of the subsoil, information obtained by GPR would make readings based on the emission of electromagnetic waves and would measure the disturbance caused by the lunar crust. These instruments are inserted in the segment in soil, the reading of this instrument, is made from electromagnetic waves. The selene orbiter will perform gravimetric measurements, targeting regions with low density of matter. This underground mapping, in addition to enriching our knowledge about the geological formation of the Moon, will enable the discovery of lava tunnels, such as the one recently found in Marius Hills [2].

In addition, the mission will take advantage of its stay in the lunar environment, to conduct a scientific experiment with the objective of validating the efficiency of the "lunar concrete" proposed by the researchers Houssmam A. Toutanji, Steve Evans, Richard N. Grugel. It consists of sulfur extracted from the iron sulfide compound (FeS) and the lunar regolith, this material appeared as a way to produce concrete without using water, besides presenting more resistance than conventional concrete, as demonstrated by the cited article [3].

3 REFERENCES

[1] Greek goddess of the moon;

[2] https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171025.html;

[3] Toutanji, A. Houssmam; Evans, S.; Grugel, Richad N., Sulfur “concrete” for lunar applications – Sublimation concerns.