 Engineering prototype of the Resource Prospector lunar rover undergoing tests | |
| Mission type | Reconnaissance,ISRU technology |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Website | www |
| Mission duration | 6 - 14 days (proposed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Lunar rover |
| Launch mass | 5,000 kg (11,000 lb)[1] |
| Landing mass | 300 kg (660 lb) |
| Dimensions | 1.4 m × 1.4 m × 2 m |
| Power | 300watts (solar array) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2022 |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (suggested) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral |
| Contractor | SpaceX (suggested) |
| Moon rover | |
| Landing site | Lunar polar region |
Resource Prospector is a cancelled mission concept byNASA of arover that would have performed a survey expedition on a polar region of theMoon. The rover was to attempt to detect and map the location of volatiles such ashydrogen,oxygen andlunar water which could foster more affordable and sustainable human exploration to the Moon,Mars, and otherSolar System bodies.[2][3]
The mission concept was still in its pre-formulation stage,[2] when it was scrapped in April 2018.[4][5] The Resource Prospector mission was proposed to be launched in 2022.[4][5] Its science instruments will be flown on several commercial lander missions contracted with NASA's newCommercial Lunar Payload Services program. TheVIPER rover was developed as a successor of Resource Prospector.[6][7]
In February 1976, the Soviet landerLuna 24 sent a sample of lunar soil toEarth, where it was found to contain about 0.1% water.[8][9] Data obtained by theLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO),Chandrayaan-1, and theLunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), revealed thatlunar water is distributed widely (if thinly) across the Moon's surface.[3][10]
The Resource Prospector mission concept proposed a NASA-led collaboration that would seek international space agencies and private industry partners to maximize the value.[2]Hydrogen andoxygen can be used to make vital consumables, but also, to makerocket fuel, and basic materials required for in-space manufacturing.[2] The technical process is calledin situ resource utilization or ISRU. The rover would have used a drill to extract samples of thelunar soil from as deep as one meter below the surface.[2] The TaiwaneseNational Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology was responsible for developing the rover's sensor system.[11]
In 2012 the RESOLVE instrument which was tested in the field.[12] RESOLVE was described as "the heart" of the Resource Prospector mission.[13] In September 2015, the rover prototype underwent field testing,[14] and in May 2016, the prototype rover underwent thermal vacuum and thermal testing at NASA'sJohnson Space Center inHouston,Texas.[15][16] Before its cancellation, NASA officials were exploring various launch options, including to fly it as a secondary payload on board the second flight of theSpace Launch System, called theArtemis 2 in 2022.[16] Another reported launch option was theFalcon Heavy rocket.[16]
The Resource Prospector team was notified on 23 April 2018 to cease all work on the project by the end of May 2018. The concept was going to be submitted for a major design review by the end of 2018 for funding, development and launch.[4][5] This rover was the only mission in conceptual development by NASA to explore the surface of the Moonin situ.[4] Apparently, the cancellation stemmed from the program being moved to another Division with an insufficient budget to fund this mission.[17][4] US$100 million were already spent on the rover's instruments over ten years.[18] Scientists involved in the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group sent a letter on 26 April 2018 to theNASA administrator,James Bridenstine laying their case to reverse the decision,[17] and remarked that other nations are preparing landers to stake claim on the natural resources on the south polar region of the Moon.[17]
In a 3 May 2018 statement, NASA officials explained that lunar surface exploration will continue in the future, but using commercial lander services under a newCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.[19][20] Some of these commercial landers will be equipped with the ice drill and scientific instruments developed for the Resource Prospector.[18][20] NASA officials stated that under this program, Resource Prospector instruments will go forward in an expanded lunar surface campaign, instead of the original two weeks.[21]
Preliminary studies call for a rover of about 300 kg (660 lb), that would measure 1.4 m x 1.4 m x 2 m.[1] It was suggested to be launched with aFalcon 9 rocket.[1] The mission life would have been between 6 and 14 Earth days.[1]
The motivation and purpose of the mission was to characterize the nature and distribution oflunar water and other volatiles in lunar polar sub-surface materials, and to demonstratein situ resource utilization (ISRU) processing oflunar soil by heating samples in an oven and isolating the resulting volatiles.[1]
The conceptual payload includes:[16][1][22]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.