Related papers: Soil Test Apparatus for Lunar Surfaces
This paper describes the system design methodology derived from the development and evaluation tests of deployable solar panels to be mounted on a 3U CubeSat. The study mainly includes structural analysis, thermal analysis, and a review of…
We report an experimental assessment of surface kinetic roughening properties that are anisotropic in space. Working for two specific instances of silicon surfaces irradiated by ion-beam sputtering under diverse conditions (with and without…
This study introduces a data-driven approach using machine learning (ML) techniques to explore and predict albedo anomalies on the Moon's surface. The research leverages diverse planetary datasets, including high-spatial-resolution albedo…
We have designed and built a compact breadboard prototype instrument called WatSen: a combined ATR mid-IR spectrometer, fixed-focus microscope, and humidity sensor. The instrument package is enclosed in a rugged cylindrical casing only 26mm…
The present article proposes an approach to analyze the photometric properties of the surface materials from multi-angle observations acquired by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on-board the Mars…
Earth is the only known habitable planet and it serves as a testbed to benchmark the observations of temperate and more Earth-like exoplanets. It is required to observe the disc-integrated signatures of Earth for a large range of phase…
The determination of the mechanical properties of soils containing particles larger than the allowable size by standard laboratory equipment is problematic. It is indeed necessary to eliminate the coarsest fraction to carry out the tests,…
The detections of small, rocky exoplanets have surged in recent years and will likely continue to do so. To know whether a rocky exoplanet is habitable, we have to characterise its atmosphere and surface. A promising characterisation method…
A primary objective of the Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiment is to provide precise observations of the lunar orbit that contribute to a wide range of science investigations. Time series of the highly accurate measurements of the distance…
The direct analysis of the dynamic response of materials is possible using Split Hopkinson pressure bar method. For soils, it has to be adapted since the specimen has generally poor mechanical properties. An original experimental…
The lunar geological record has much to tell us about the earliest history of the Solar System, the origin and evolution of the Earth-Moon system, the geological evolution of rocky planets, and the near-Earth cosmic environment throughout…
The study of exoplanetary atmospheres relies on detecting minute changes in the transit depth at different wavelengths. To date, a number of ground and space based instruments have been used to obtain transmission spectra of exoplanets in…
With humans returning to the Moon under the Artemis program, understanding and mitigating effects from Plume Surface Interactions (PSI) will be essential for the protection of personnel and equipment on the Moon. To help characterize the…
Modeling has been developed to support the development of volatile extraction technologies for the Moon, Mars, asteroids, or other bodies. This type of modeling capability is important to avoid the high cost of multiple test campaigns in…
We present a fully analytical propagator for the orbits of lunar artificial satellites in a lunar gravity and third-body model sufficiently precise for a wide range of practical applications. The gravity model includes the twelve most…
The mechanical properties of minerals in planetary materials are not only interesting from a fundamental point of view but also critical to the development of future space missions. Here we present nanoindentation experiments to evaluate…
An ancient Venusian rock could constrain that planet's history, and reveal the past existence of oceans. Such samples may persist on the Moon, which lacks an atmosphere and significant geological activity. We demonstrate that if Venus'…
The recently developed JWST Exoplanet Observation Simulator (JexoSim) simulates transit spectroscopic observations of exoplanets by JWST with each of its four instruments using a time-domain approach. Previously we reported the validation…
Several measurements, including the data from the laser spectrometer in the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on the Curiosity Rover in Gale crater, have measured seasonal variations in atmospheric methane at the 0.7 ppbv (parts per…
We address the problem of estimating realistic, spatially varying reflectance for complex planetary surfaces such as the lunar regolith, which is critical for high-fidelity rendering and vision-based navigation. Existing lunar rendering…