IGF::OT::IGF NASA IS SOLICITING PROPOSALS FOR SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS THAT MIGHT REVEAL ANSWERS ABOUT LUNAR…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF NASA IS SOLICITING PROPOSALS FOR SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS THAT MIGHT REVEAL ANSWERS ABOUT LUNAR RESOURCES THAT COULD SUPPORT THE AGENCY'S JOURNEY TO MARS. NASA WOULD SPONSOR THE INSTRUMENTS TO FLY ON A LUNAR ORBITER DESIGNED BY THE KOREA AEROSPACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (KARI). THE SPACECRAFT, THE KOREA PATHFINDER LUNAR ORBITER (KPLO), IS SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH IN DECEMBER 2018, AND IS PART OF KARI'S KOREA LUNAR EXPLORATION PROGRAM, WHICH AIMS TO ROBOTICALLY EXPLORE THE MOON THROUGH A SERIES OF ORBITER AND LANDER MISSIONS, STARTING WITH THE KPLO. KARI, HEADQUARTERED IN DAEJEON, SOUTH KOREA, PROVIDED NASA WITH ABOUT 33 POUNDS (15 KILOGRAMS) OF PAYLOAD MASS ABOARD THE KPLO, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH INTO LUNAR ORBIT IN DECEMBER 2018. IN SEPTEMBER 2016, NASA ISSUED A SOLICITATION SEEKING SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS THAT COULD INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF VOLATILES, SUCH AS WATER, INCLUDING THE MOVEMENT OF SUCH RESOURCES TOWARD PERMANENTLY SHADOWED REGIONS AND HOW THEY BECOME TRAPPED THERE. SHADOWCAM WILL MAP THE REFLECTANCE WITHIN THE PERMANENTLY SHADOWED REGIONS TO SEARCH FOR EVIDENCE OF FROST OR ICE DEPOSITS. THE INSTRUMENT'S OPTICAL CAMERA IS BASED ON THE LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER NARROW ANGLE CAMERA, BUT IS 800 TIMES MORE SENSITIVE, ALLOWING IT TO OBTAIN HIGH-RESOLUTION, HIGH SIGNAL-TO-NOISE IMAGING OF THE MOON'S PERMANENTLY SHADOWED REGIONS. SHADOWCAM WILL OBSERVE THE PSRS MONTHLY TO DETECT SEASONAL CHANGES AND MEASURE THE TERRAIN INSIDE THE CRATERS, INCLUDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF BOULDERS. NASA'S ADVANCED EXPLORATION SYSTEMS DIVISION (AES) LED THE PAYLOAD SOLICITATION AND SELECTION FOR THE NASA INSTRUMENT ON KPLO. A DIVISION OF THE HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS MISSION DIRECTORATE, AES USES INNOVATIVE APPROACHES AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP PROTOTYPE SYSTEMS, ADVANCE KEY CAPABILITIES, AND VALIDATE OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS FOR FUTURE HUMAN MISSIONS BEYOND EARTH ORBIT. THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY WITH KARI, AES IS ADDRESSING KEY LUNAR SKGS WHILE COMPLEMENTING KARI'S PRIMARY MISSION OBJECTIVES AND INSTRUMENTS.