Lunar Flashlight: Illuminating the Lunar South Pole

Cohen, B. A.; Hayne, P. O.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Paige, D. A.; Seybold, C.; Baker, John D.

doi:10.1109/maes.2019.2950746

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The reflectance measurement precision at each lidar wavelength depends on the ability to accurately measure the transmitted laser pulse energy and the return pulse energy from the lidar. From these measurements (and the range to the surface) the lidar equation is used to retrieve the surface reflectance (Cohen et al., 2020; Lucey et al., 2014; Sun, 2017). The contribution of signal from thermal emission and solar reflectance was assumed to be removed using the continuous signal that is present between laser pulses when no laser illumination is present.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Single‐wavelength lidars with lasers emitting at 1.06 μm have identified regions with anomalous albedos at the northern pole of Mercury corresponding to regions of buried and exposed ice (Deutsch et al., 2017) and provided evidence supporting polar surface ice within lunar PSRs (Fisher et al., 2017; Lucey et al., 2014; Zuber et al., 2012). Soon the Lunar Flashlight technology demonstration will carry a multiband reflectometer emitting at four wavelengths between 1 and 2 μm (Cohen et al., 2020) to measure ISRU‐relevant quantities of water ice in select regions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Simulated Lunar Surface Hydration Measurements Using Multispectral Lidar at 3 µm

Cremons

Honniball

2022

Earth and Space Science

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated Lunar Surface Hydration Measurements Using Multispectral Lidar at 3 µm

Cremons

Honniball

2022

Earth and Space Science

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“…The spacecraft design is conservative, avoiding risky structures such as long composite booms or deployables while drawing upon heritage from previous missions for thermal management (Section 5.9), propulsion (Section 5.7), and attitude control (Section 5.8). The Sphinx avionics system on board AXE (see Section 5.4) is planned to gain flight heritage on various CubeSat missions as well (Cohen et al 2020).…”

Section: Flight Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Astrobiology eXploration at Enceladus (AXE): A New Frontiers Mission Concept Study

et al. 2023

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The Saturnian moon Enceladus presents a unique opportunity to sample the contents of a subsurface liquid water ocean in situ via the continuous plume formed over its south polar terrain using a multi-flyby mission architecture. Previous analyses of the plume’s composition by Cassini revealed an energy-rich system laden with salts and organic compounds, representing an environment containing most of the ingredients for life as we know it. Following in the footsteps of the Cassini-Huygens mission, we present Astrobiology eXploration at Enceladus (AXE), a New Frontiers class Enceladus mission concept study carried out during the 2021 NASA Planetary Science Summer School program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. We demonstrate that a scientifically compelling geophysical and life-detection mission to Enceladus can be carried out within the constraints of a New Frontiers-5 cost cap using a modest instrument suite, requiring only a narrow angle, high-resolution telescopic imager, a mass spectrometer, and a high-gain antenna for radio communications and gravity science measurements. Using a multi-flyby mission architecture, AXE would evaluate the habitability and potential for life at Enceladus through a synergistic combination of in situ chemical analysis measurements aimed at directly detecting the presence of molecular biosignatures, along with geophysical and geomorphological investigations to contextualize chemical biosignatures and further evaluate the habitability of Enceladus over geologic time.

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“…These four missions all carry laser altimeters designed primarily for time-of-flight measurements, though with several new laser and detector technologies aimed at reducing the size and weight and increasing ranging precision. A notable exception is the upcoming Lunar Flashlight mission (Vinckier et al, 2019;Cohen et al, 2020), which carries a new class of laser reflectometer to measure the lunar surface reflectance at four key infrared wavelengths to constrain the abundance of surface water ice in permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South Pole. This instrument is not designed to provide accurate range measurements, but the quasi-CW operation is not dissimilar to traditional lidar, and we include it in our discussion here.…”

Section: Upcoming Lidar Investigationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The future of lidar in planetary science

Cremons

2022

Front. Remote Sens.

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Lidar has enabled advances in the knowledge of the Solar System through geophysical and atmospheric studies of the Moon, Mercury, Mars, and several asteroids. The technique will continue to be used to obtain high-precision topographic data from orbit, but new techniques on the horizon are suited to uniquely address fundamental planetary science questions related to the evolution of airless bodies, volatile delivery and sequestration, atmospheric transport, and small body formation and evolution. This perspective highlights the history of lidar in planetary science and identifies several measurement approaches that may be adopted in the coming years.

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Lunar Flashlight: Illuminating the Lunar South Pole

Cited by 21 publications

References 17 publications

Simulated Lunar Surface Hydration Measurements Using Multispectral Lidar at 3 µm

Simulated Lunar Surface Hydration Measurements Using Multispectral Lidar at 3 µm

Astrobiology eXploration at Enceladus (AXE): A New Frontiers Mission Concept Study

The future of lidar in planetary science

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