Selection and characterization of landing sites for the upcoming Russian robotic missions to the Moon
Abstract
Russian missions Luna-Glob, Luna-Resource and Luna-Grunt are considered to be a sequence of landers aimed, in particular, to study physical conditions at the lunar poles, lunar volatiles both in situ and delivered to Earth laboratories, opportunities for utilization of lunar resources and to perform technological experiments for future lunar exploration [Zelenyi et al.,2013, 2014]. The first of these missions, tentatively planned for 2016, along with partial accomplishment of these tasks, is also devoted to test new-generation technologies for soft landing. The second one (~2018) addresses most of the mentioned tasks. The major task of the third mission is cryogenic sample return from the polar area. The potential landing sites had to accommodate the 15x30 km landing ellipses and be within 70-85N, 30W-60E and 70-85S, 0-60E [Basilevsky et al., 2013]. In these regions a search based on analysis of LOLA altimetry, LROC NAC and WAC images and Mini-RF data led to finding several spots with rather smooth surfaces which then were tested by the LEND team [Mitrofanov 2011, 2012] to see if they show signatures of enrichment in H/H2O. At the next stage of the studies a floor of the 95-km crater Boguslavsky was studied. The H2O content here is not high, but this place is convenient for the test of the new soft landing technologies. These morphometric studies rely mostly on the data acquired by instruments of the U.S. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and their availability and usage were significantly facilitated through the Brown-Vernadsky/SSERVI interaction.
- Publication:
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40th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014cosp...40E2011M