Lunar Volatiles Mobile Instrument

Project Information

LUVMI

Grant agreement ID: 727220

DOI

10.3030/727220

Project closed

EC signature date 30 September 2016

Start date 1 October 2016

End date 31 January 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Space

Total cost

€ 1 503 568,75

EU contribution

€ 1 503 568,00

Coordinated by

SPACE APPLICATIONS SERVICES NV
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LUVMI (Lunar Volatiles Mobile Instrument)

Reporting period: 2016-10-01 to 2019-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) identifies one of the first exploration steps as in situ investigations of the Moon or asteroids. Europe is developing payload concepts for drilling and sample analysis, a contribution to a 250kg rover as well as for sample return. To achieve these missions, ESA depends on international partnerships.
Such missions will be seldom, expensive and the drill/sample site selected will be based on observations from orbit not calibrated with ground truth data.
Many of the international science community’s objectives can be met at lower cost, or the chances of mission success improved and the quality of the science increased by making use of an innovative, low mass, mobile robotic payload following the LEAG recommendations.
As a main objective LUVMI is designed specifically for operations at the South Pole of the Moon with a payload accommodated by a novel lightweight mobile platform (rover) with a range of several kilometres.
LUVMI addresses top priorities established by the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Volatiles Specific Action Team (VSAT). These are:
1. Determining the variability of volatile distribution
2. Identification of the chemical phase of volatile elements
3. Analysis of physical and chemical behaviour of lunar soil with temperature
4. Determining geotechnical properties
5. Determining current volatile flux
LUVMI in additions targets the following objectives (scientific, technical and non-technical):
6. Demonstrate the ability to increase the value of scientific community’s orbital data of the Lunar South pole regions
7. Demonstrate the ability to increase the scientific return of lunar surface drilling and sample return missions
8. Payload with a possible mass in the range of 20 to 40 kg for near side and far side missions
9. Establish an innovative participation and funding approach where 25% of the cost of developing the payload to launch to launch readiness is covered by non-institutional sources
Over the 2nd period of the project, all first 5 objectives above were addressed, through the specification of the possible missions, operational concept and preliminary design of all LUVMI components. The objectives 6 to 9 were also all tackled – the results obtained in the timeframe of the project are very promising, but it remains difficult at this point of time to quantify the full benefit for the scientific community and the increase of scientific return LUVMI may allow. LUVMI keeps being very much perceived as a “sweet spot” by the community in terms of development (and launch) cost vs. scientific potential by partners and stakeholders.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

As a key part of the work done over the past period, the detailed design and MAIT of all the components of LUVMI were worked out (WP3, WP4, WP5). Deliverables produced in these work packages provide details on the work done with all the LUVMI subsystems (instruments and rover).

Then tests, integration and validation (WP6) represented a major effort in the last 6 months of the project – this is also duly documented in WP6 deliverables.

Finally, following the December 2018 test campaign, road-mapping activities were worked out by the consortium (as part of WP7) to sketch the way ahead – a development plan was produced as well as a cost plan to implement the needed development. Potential mission slots and other opportunities were reviewed as well.

A very good dissemination and outreach coverage was achieved by the consortium, especially in the last phase of the MAIT and during / after the final test campaign of LUVMI in the Netherlands. A series of newspaper articles in the Netherlands and in Belgium were released in particular. Also in Q1 2018, DIA got interviewed by the BBC, in UK.

The website of the project was revised and improved so that to support effectively the consortium outreach and exploitation activities. The news page of the website in particular quite active over the past year, showing appealing pictures and giving information on the testing and integration campaigns.

More contacts were taken with different relevant stakeholders in preparation to the potential exploitation of the project’s results: ESA, but also private space companies with whom LUVMI may possibly team aiming at an actual mission to the moon.

Also, contacts were consolidated with the H2020 Newton project (funded in the same call as LUVMI), that develops an instrument that may fit well on the LUVMI rover platform in addition to its original instruments. Collaborations was started with documents exchanged, in particular guidance for integration of Newton’s instrument onboard the LUVMI rover. It was agreed to pursue this collaboration in LUVMI-X and identify a Newton campaign, in 2019, to which the LUVMI platform could participate and bring an added value.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Establishing a long-term presence on the Moon requires us to overcome several technological challenges. For lunar exploration—and eventually settlement—to be sustainable, we must address two central questions: How do we provide affordable yet reliable access to the lunar surface to a broad scientific community? And how can we make use of locally available resources? In the latest edition of its Global Exploration Roadmap, the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) states that future scientific activities shall not only meet exploration objectives through innovative and evolvable approaches, but also provide benefits to the general public and support the establishment of a human presence on the Moon.

By making use of an innovative, low mass, mobile robotic payload following the LEAG recommendations, many of the international science community’s objectives can be met at lower cost.

As a main objective LUVMI (European Commission Horizon 2020 co-funded project) is designed specifically for operations at the South Pole of the Moon with a payload accommodated by a novel lightweight mobile platform (rover) with a range of several kilometers.

Over the 2 past years, the key LUVMI scientific instruments (volatiles analyzer and volatiles sampler) were successfully developed and validated (up to TRL 5-6). In addition a ground prototype of the LUVMI rover was developed and tested in a series of outdoor trials, in rocky and sandy environments. This rover, with a target mass of ~40kg for a flight version, features an adjustable height chassis to adapt to terrain roughness and allowing to bring instruments very closely and precisely to the surface.

The locomotion capabilities of the LUVMI rover could be fully tested as part of the project. Novel light field camera perception system was additionally implemented for the rover.

LUVMI is perceived as having a strong potential as a candidate mission concept to the Moon. Potential scientific return would be substantial. Following the completion of LUVMI, the consortium is now busy preparing, as part of LUVMI-X follow-up activities, a development strategy that may allow maturing the overall platform and instruments so that to make LUVMI eligible for an ESA mission in 2025. LUVMI-X extends LUVMI with additional scientific instruments and further investigates how LUVMI-X may be commercially exploited as a flexible and affordable solution to deliver and deploy payloads on the moon.

LUVMI by night too

VA and VS integrated in the rover

Assembled VA and VS

LUVMI sun set

LUVMI by night

LUVMI and moon

Drilling operation

LUVMI on the rocks