The Space Resource Newsletter - August 2021
The larger ispace lunar lander will provide a payload of 500 kg to the Moon’s surface. It will also be eligible within the NASA CLPS program due to its development within the US. Credit: ispace.
Welcome to The Space Resource monthly newsletter for August 2021. China starts study of kilometer sized space structures, Martian dust storms impacting atmosphere loss, and lunar exosphere and surface roughness potentially facilitating global water distribution.
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General
United Nations COPUOS subcommittee on Space Resources kicked off. The subcommittee has established its mandate, terms of reference, and methods of work. COPUOS is the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and is an official committee within the United Nations’ Office for Outer Space Affairs. Future information about the new Space Resources subcommittee should be published soon. Link.
China outlined a project to study the assembly of ultra-large spacecraft. This urgent study includes the research of lightweight structures, on-orbit assembly, and attitude control of large spacecraft. Such spacecraft could be used for space based power systems, orbital telescopes, space-based solar radiation management, or space manufacturing systems. China is already working on large microwave based power transmissions systems and a 10 meter space telescope. Link.
Space manufacturing startup Varda Space raised $42 million. The California based company is currently working to develop a spacecraft able to manufacture fiber optics in orbit, but has ambitions to expand to other manufactured items. Made In Space has developed similar capabilities, with multiple 3D printers already on the International Space Station (ISS). Varda appears to be focusing on manufacturing components within their own spacecraft without relying on the ISS. This would allow them dedicated capabilities and timelines. They expect to have their first spacecraft delivered in 2023. Link.
Mars
Mars Perseverance rover had trouble collecting its first core sample. The rover drilled down about 3 inches (8 cm) for this core sample, however, the material was very powdery. This caused the sample to remain in the hole and pile up in a cuttings pile. Perseverance is therefore driving towards its secondary sample location that hopefully has more favorable subsurface material. Drilling into Mars has been a challenge, with the NASA Insight lander also having issues with its MOLE instrument.
Martian dust storms cause Mars to lose double the water compared to normal. Observations from multiple satellites around Mars have shown that atmospheric dust heavily impacts the rate of atmospheric hydrogen loss. Dust storms kick dust high into the atmosphere, causing the surrounding atmosphere to heat up more easily. This extra heat prevents the water vapor from freezing as it usually does, allowing it to rise higher than normal. The further the water vapor rises, the more vulnerable it is to ultraviolet radiation that can break the hydrogen-oxygen bonds. Once broken, the hydrogen is easily lost to space (due to being lighter than oxygen). The atmosphere loss is greater during each hemisphere’s summer months. DOI: 10.1038/s41550-021-01425-w.
Moon
Study of Apollo samples indicates the Moon didn’t have a magnetic field, likely increasing the amount of helium-3 found on the Moon. Without a magnetic field, solar winds are able to impact the lunar surface. Such high energy interactions alter the elemental composition of the lunar surface. Helium-3 is one of the more sought after elements created, as it is quite rare on Earth and is used for cryogenics, medical imaging, and potentially fusion reactions. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi7647.
Rough lunar regolith may be harboring volatiles, with the exosphere facilitating a basic water cycle. Data from NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) indicated that water was present across sunlit portions of the Moon, which was a surprising result. To help explain this, a research team developed a model that took the rough surface features into account. This model showed that frost is able to form in small shadows, however, the water concentrations change over a lunar day, indicating the water can’t be bound within the regolith itself. The proposed solution is that the lunar exosphere allows a simple water cycle to exist, where water evaporates during the lunar morning, is transported in the exosphere, then refreezes on the surface during the frigid nights. The research team will try to verify this model via the Heterodyne OH Lunar Miniaturized Spectrometer (HOLMS) that may be deployed on a future lunar lander or rover. DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stab1360.
Russia delayed Luna-25 launch from October 2021 to mid-2022. Luna-25 will be the first Russian mission to the lunar surface in multiple decades. The plan is to land the spacecraft at the lunar south pole and survey for ice deposits there. Alexander Shirshakov, chief engineer of the NPO Kavochkin design bureau, stated that they needed additional time to test the spacecraft since they experienced some problems.
ispace unveils new lunar lander with 500 kg payload, along with raising $46 million. The Japanese company is partnering with General Atomics for assembly, integration, and testing of the lander. Draper will provide the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems. Since the lander will be developed within the US, ispace is able to offer the lander as part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Link.
