Next generation Autonomous Lunar Geophysical Experiment Package

Abstract

Geophysical exploration of the interior structure and processes of the Moon has been a high scientific priority dating back to the Apollo days and still remains a high priority even today. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) deployed during the Apollo era played an important role in extending knowledge of the Moon's history through seismic, magnetic, and geothermal measurements. In this concept study, a contemporary equivalent of ALSEP was investigated. Autonomous Lunar Geophysical Experiment Package (ALGEP) contains instruments similar to ALSEP but has taken advantage of thirty years of technology advances, allowing for development of instruments with increased sensitivity and reduced size and power requirements. Solar powered modular platforms were designed with each instrument equipped with its own miniaturized power, telecom, command and data handling, and thermal subsystems allowing for nighttime data collection. A base station would provide communication with the Earth. The instruments could be deployed long distances from one another and would be essentially wireless, decreasing deployment complexity and risk.