The LUVMI Volatile Sampler and Volatile Analysis Package for in Situ ISRU Applications on the Moon and Other Airless Bodies

Sheridan, S.; Pitcher, C.; Schwanethal, J.; Barber, S.; Biswas, J.; Reissa, P.; Reganaz, M. and Richter, L. (2021). The LUVMI Volatile Sampler and Volatile Analysis Package for in Situ ISRU Applications on the Moon and Other Airless Bodies. In: 17th Biennial International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments. Earth and Space 2021: Space Exploration, Utilization, Engineering, and Construction in Extreme Environments, 19-23 Apr 2021, Seattle, United States.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483374.055

Abstract

Recent remote sensing missions have established the presence of water-ice in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) located at the lunar poles, offering the possibility of a source of material for future in situ resource utilisation (ISRU). ISRU offers the opportunity to make use of locally available resources and to potentially reduce the costs associated with transporting materials such as water, hydrogen, and oxygen to the lunar surface. The LUVMI rover is an innovative, low mass, mobile robotic payload designed specifically for operations at the South Pole of the Moon with a range of several kilometers and will perform volatile prospecting for potential lunar resources. This study presents the LUVMI volatiles sampler (VS) and volatiles analyser (VA) that have been developed and validated up to technology readiness level (TRL) 5-6 to address the question of in-situ volatile extraction and characterization.

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