Design of a Low-Cost Lunar Cubesat Flyby Mission to Study HELIUM-3 Reserves
Abstract
With the rise of the movement for the commercialization of space, there has been an exponential growth in low-cost solutions that enable exploration of our solar system. CubeSats in recent years have become a popular choice for missions operating on a smaller time scale with minimal payload. The lunar surface has several resources that can be used in several ways including manufacturing of clean energy and supporting future space exploration missions. One such element is Helium-3- a light, non-radioactive isotope of Helium with the promise of a new source of energy. Its production on Earth is quite limited with only about 10 kilograms of Helium-3 produced every year. However, the Moon has been bombarded with large quantities of Helium-3 by the solar wind for a long time. Research has shown that Helium-3 is quite a viable fuel for the operation of nuclear fusion reactors to produce a clean source of energy. Previous missions to explore the Helium-3 reserves such as the Change-1, Clementine and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter carried heavy payloads which resulted in increased overall mission cost. This paper proposes the design of a lunar CubeSat for studying the factors affecting the distribution of Helium-3 embedded within the lunar regolith which may serve as a precursor mission for selection of sites for future lunar mining operations.
- Publication:
-
43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 28 January - 4 February
- Pub Date:
- January 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021cosp...43E.354B