Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2022

Presentation information

[J] Poster

P (Space and Planetary Sciences ) » P-PS Planetary Sciences

[P-PS06] Lunar Science and Exploration

Sun. May 29, 2022 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Online Poster Zoom Room (3) (Ch.03)

convener:Masaki N Nishino(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science), convener:Masahiro KAYAMA(Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo), Hiroshi Nagaoka(Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), convener:Yusuke Nakauchi(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Chairperson:Masaki N Nishino(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency/Institute of Space and Astronautical Science), Keisuke Onodera(University of Paris)

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

[PPS06-P06] Activity of Preparing an Output Data Creation Team for Japanese Lunar Polar Exploration mission (LUPEX)

*Makiko Ohtake1, Tomokatsu Morota2, Yuzuru Karouji3, Yoshiaki Ishihara3, Dai ASOH3 (1.The University of Aizu, 2.University of Tokyo, 3.Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

Keywords:Moon, Lunar Polar Exploration mission (LUPEX), water

Introduction: JAXA is planning a Lunar Polar Exploration mission (LUPEX) collaborating with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to evaluate possibility for using the lunar polar water as resources [1]. LUPEX pre-project is preparing to form a team (Output Data Creation Team; ODCT), which will be responsible for creating output data from the onboard instruments.

Role of the ODCT: Main goal of the ODCT is to create products (output data) to evaluate abundance and distribution (lateral and vertical) of the water present at the explored site by combining multiple instrumental data of the LUPEX mission. In addition to the water, other volatile component will be measured based on the report of identification of CH4, CO2 and other volatile species by ejecta observation of the LCROSS cratering experiment to the polar region [2]. To achieve this goal, the team is going to support/conduct instrument operation, drilling site selection, data processing and archive, paper publishing, and support landing site selection process.

Activity on preparing the ODCT: As a part of the ODCT preparation activity, the LUPEX pre-project team has been interviewing the instrument leads and other community members to list up requirements (hardware/software) to the rover for realizing instrument observation, formulate a tentative product list of individual instruments, data processing flow, and list up requirements to the LUPEX ground data processing system to generate each product. Output data, which will be created by combining multiple instrumental data were identified as; i) 3D map of water abundance and their form (present as OH or H2O etc.) and ii) physical characteristics map of the regolith. Multiple 3D maps will be created based on the data obtained under different temperature condition of a certain site and at different exploration site(s). Illumination condition and geological/topographic information (e.g., mineral abundance, mineral composition, and space weathering degree) will be attached to the created maps. Based on these maps, the team can estimate total amount of water stored at the lunar polar region and form a list of candidate sites for mining in the future missions. And this information further will be used for evaluation of water utilization possibility. In the presentation, we are going to introduce detail of the ODCT preparation activity and its results.

References:
[1] Aso et al. (2022) in this conference.
[2] Colaprete et al. (2010), Science, 220, p463-467.