Exploring Moon Caves: Geological Delights and Engineering Challenges
When
Where
Dr. Laura Kerber
Research Scientist
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Exploring Moon Caves: Geological Delights and Engineering Challenges
Deep pits in the lunar mare provide unique access to large exposures of lunar bedrock stratigraphy elsewhere obscured by a layer of thick regolith. Moon Diver is a Discovery-class mission concept that proposes to use an extreme terrain rappelling rover to descend into one of these pits to study the lunar mare basalts in cross-section for the first time. In this seminar, I will describe the insights that such a mission could offer to lunar and planetary science, as well as the practical challenges in robotics, operations, and instrumentation that Moon Diver would face on its journey into the Moon.
Host: Dr. Christopher Hamilton