Quote from: A_M_Swallow on 02/16/2019 10:19 pmIf someone wants to test a dewar on the Moon for 6 months this is their chance. Maximum 15 kg including liquid instrumentation, solar panel and radio.Dewars are useful because of the vacuum between the interior tank and the environment, right? I'd think you'd need an atmosphere to protect yourself from. It's a whole new world.
If someone wants to test a dewar on the Moon for 6 months this is their chance. Maximum 15 kg including liquid instrumentation, solar panel and radio.
Also, surviving for 14 days at -170C is apparently so fraught that nobody is talking about doing that just yet. It's in work (both with and without the use of RHUs/RTGs), but early CLPS landers plan to bite it when the sun goes down.
In the FY 2019 Budget request in FY 2022 the budget for 'ADVANCED CISLUNAR AND SURFACE CAPABILITIES' doubles.(FY 2019)116.5 (FY 2020)146.0 (FY 2021)163.7 (FY 2022)300.0 (FY 2023)320.3
The CLPS landers shutting down at sunset is why the instrumentation needs its own power supply and radio.
Lunar night survival at polar peaks maybe possible without RTG.Only need to survive a few days and temperature swings aren't meant to be as extreme as equator.
The Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer will measure the lunar surface radiation environment.Three resource prospecting instruments have been selected to fly: The Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System is an imaging spectrometer that will measure surface composition. The Neutron Spectrometer System and Advanced Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface are neutron spectrometers that will measure hydrogen abundance.The Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer for Lunar Surface Volatiles instrument is an ion-trap mass spectrometer that will measure volatile contents in the surface and lunar exosphere.A magnetometer will measure the surface magnetic field.The Low-frequency Radio Observations from the Near Side Lunar Surface instrument, a radio science instrument, will measure the photoelectron sheath density near the surface.Three instruments will acquire critical information during entry, descent and landing on the lunar surface, which will inform the design of future landers including the next human lunar lander.The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies will image the interaction between the lander engine plume as it hits the lunar surface.The Surface and Exosphere Alterations by Landers payload will monitor how the landing affects the lunar exosphere.The Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing payload will make precise velocity and ranging measurements during the descent that will help develop precision landing capabilities for future landers.There also are two technology demonstrations selected to fly. The Solar Cell Demonstration Platform for Enabling Long-Term Lunar Surface Power will demonstrate advanced solar arrays for longer mission duration. The Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator will demonstrate a navigational beacon to assist with geolocation for lunar orbiting spacecraft and landers.
Also some news about follow-on missions. This one will not hop (it carries the NASA laser reflector, so if it lands safely they will not risk losing it with a hop). But by the third mission they will try a hop, or more than one, to study several areas, and they will look at prolonging mission life (no specifics). A second mission will carry a larger payload than the first (up to 100 kg) and have data management improvements.
Is this a new space race with China?
I'd bet it's more that they need a cool thing fast and this is low-hanging fruit.
This seems to be fallout of Pence trying to inject urgency into NASA's moon efforts.Large polar lander rover by 2023:{snip}Feels like Resource Prospector. Again.{snip}
