Experimental Study of an Obstacle Detection Method for a Soft Landing on the Moon via Images of a Lunar Surface Georama

Chinese missions to the moon are planned to sample the regolith and return it to the earth. Microscale excavators may be good candidates for these missions, as they would significantly reduce the launch mass. Thus, it is necessary to research the interaction between the scoop and the regolith being sampled. We present the development of a simple apparatus to measure excavation torque. All tests were conducted using TYII-2 regolith simulant with gravels. The test results show that, under loose regolith conditions, the penetrating angle and the bulk density had a great influence on the excavation torque, while the rotating speed had little effect. However, when the bulk density was compact, the rotating speed did influence the excavation torque. The excavation torque increased sharply when the scoop encountered the gravels; actually, some of the parameters will influence the value of the torque such as the diameter, quantity, and position and inbuilt depth of the gravels. When the excavation torque sharply increases, the operation should be immediately stopped and checked.

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Chronology of the Basalt Units Surrounding Chang’e-4 Landing Area

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs14010049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 49

Author(s):

Zongyu Yue ◽

Ke Shi ◽

Gregory Michael ◽

Kaichang Di ◽

Sheng Gou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lunar Surface ◽

Measured Data ◽

The Moon ◽

Soft Landing ◽

Size Frequency Distribution ◽

Popular Method ◽

Crater Size ◽

Elevation Data ◽

Geological Units

The Chang’e-4 (CE-4) lunar probe, the first soft landing spacecraft on the far side of the Moon, successfully landed in the Von Kármán crater on 3 January 2019. Geological studies of the landing area have been conducted and more intensive studies will be carried out with the in situ measured data. The chronological study of the maria basalt surrounding the CE-4 landing area is significant to the related studies. Currently, the crater size-frequency distribution (CSFD) technique is the most popular method to derive absolute model ages (AMAs) of geological units where no returned sample is available, and it has been widely used in dating maria basalt on the lunar surface. In this research, we first make a mosaic with multi-orbital Chang’e-2 (CE-2) images as a base map. Coupled with the elevation data and FeO content, nine representative areas of basalt units surrounding the CE-4 landing area are outlined and their AMAs are derived. The dating results of the nine basalt units indicate that the basalts erupted from 3.42 to 2.28 Ga ago in this area, a period much longer than derived by previous studies. The derived chronology of the above basalt units establishes a foundation for geological analysis of the returned CE-4 data.

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Research on Aluminum Honeycomb Buffer Device for Soft Landing on the Lunar Surface

International Journal of Aerospace Engineering ◽

10.1155/2021/7686460 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Wei Wei ◽

Shijie Zhang ◽

Ximing Zhao ◽

Xinyu Quan ◽

Jie Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Discrete Element Method ◽

Lunar Surface ◽

Discrete Element ◽

Honeycomb Structure ◽

The Moon ◽

Soft Landing ◽

Spider Web ◽

Buffer Material ◽

Aluminum Honeycomb ◽

Element Method

To obtain the resources of the moon, humans have launched a series of exploration activities on the moon, and the landing buffer device is an indispensable device on the lander required to perform lunar surface exploration missions. It can effectively protect the lander during landing scientific payloads such as instruments on the lander. Based on the mechanical properties and deformation mechanism of the aluminum honeycomb as buffer material, this paper compares and analyzes different simulation schemes and finally establishes the bonding model of the honeycomb by using the discrete element method; the parameters of the honeycomb material are matched through compression experiments to verify the discrete element honeycomb simulation and the feasibility of the scheme and its parameters. To meet the buffering requirements of large landers, a spider web honeycomb structure is proposed, its modeling method is studied by using the discrete element secondary development program, and the model is compressed as a whole to verify the energy consumption characteristics of the spider web honeycomb structure. Aiming at the honeycomb buffer device during the landing process, the cobweb honeycomb buffer structure and its corresponding landing coupling model were established using the discrete element method, the landing process was simulated and analyzed, and the landing results were predicted to verify the feasibility of the device, providing a reference for the design of the lander and its buffer device.

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Obstacle Detection and Avoidance Method to Achieve a Soft Landing on the Moon and Planets

Transactions of the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers ◽

10.9746/sicetr1965.38.395 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 395-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ken'ichi NISHIGUCHI

Keyword(s):

Obstacle Detection ◽

The Moon ◽

Soft Landing

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A Photographic Map of the Moon

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900178179 ◽

1962 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 113-115

Author(s):

D. W. G. Arthur ◽

E. A. Whitaker

Keyword(s):

Lunar Surface ◽

The Moon ◽

Map Projection

The cartography of the lunar surface can be split into two operations which can be carried on quite independently. The first, which is also the most laborious, is the interpretation of the lunar photographs into the symbolism of the map, with the addition of fine details from telescopic sketches. An example of this kind of work is contained in Johann Krieger'sMond Atlaswhich consists of photographic enlargements in which Krieger has sharpened up the detail to accord with his telescopic impressions. Krieger did not go on either to convert the photographic picture into the line symbolism of a map, or to place this picture on any definite map projection.

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Is the Moon really as smooth as a billiard ball? Remarks concerning recent models of sputter-fractionation on the lunar surface

Geophysical Research Letters ◽

10.1029/gl005i004p00297 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 297-300 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Bruce Hapke ◽

William Cassidy

Keyword(s):

Lunar Surface ◽

The Moon ◽

Billiard Ball

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Future lunar missions and investigation of dusty plasma processes on the Moon

Journal of Plasma Physics ◽

10.1017/s0022377813000214 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 405-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

SERGEY I. POPEL ◽

LEV M. ZELENYI

Keyword(s):

Dusty Plasma ◽

Lunar Surface ◽

Dust Particles ◽

Maximum Height ◽

Charged Dust ◽

The Moon ◽

Plasma System ◽

Lunar Dust ◽

The Impact ◽

Dusty Plasma System

AbstractFrom the Apollo era of exploration, it was discovered that sunlight was scattered at the terminators giving rise to “horizon glow” and “streamers” above the lunar surface. Subsequent investigations have shown that the sunlight was most likely scattered by electrostatically charged dust grains originating from the surface. A renaissance is being observed currently in investigations of the Moon. The Luna-Glob and Luna-Resource missions (the latter jointly with India) are being prepared in Russia. Some of these missions will include investigations of lunar dust. Here we discuss the future experimental investigations of lunar dust within the missions of Luna-Glob and Luna-Resource. We consider the dusty plasma system over the lunar surface and determine the maximum height of dust rise. We describe mechanisms of formation of the dusty plasma system over the Moon and its main properties, determine distributions of electrons and dust over the lunar surface, and show a possibility of rising dust particles over the surface of the illuminated part of the Moon in the entire range of lunar latitudes. Finally, we discuss the effect of condensation of micrometeoriod substance during the expansion of the impact plume and show that this effect is important from the viewpoint of explanation of dust particle rise to high altitudes in addition to the dusty plasma effects.

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