Clavius-S: Lunar Surface Sensor Payload for Orbital Object Detection

Astrobotic proposes the development of a lunar lander-based imaging payload to detect and track spacecraft in lunar orbit. Operating from the surface of the Moon brings the sensor closer to targets and below the glare of the lunar surface. We propose Clavius-S, a lunar surface derivate of Astrobotic’s existing low size, weight, and power space situational awareness (SSA) sensor to enable practical detection and tracking of non-transmitting spacecraft and debris in low lunar orbit (LLO). Astrobotic’s high performance space compute combined with heritage SSA software enables real-time detection. Integrated aboard lunar landers under NASA’s CLPS initiative, this instrument would provide affordable access to data required to perform reliable conjunction assessments and safeguard lunar missions. The proposed effort adapts an SSA sensor system developed under AFRL contracts to operate from a lunar lander and survive the extremes of the lunar night. This system already incorporates a low SWaP design, a validated optics and imaging train that exceeds LLO detection requirements, and significant onboard processing to handle inherent downlink limitations. In Phase I, the Astrobotic-led team will: 1. Develop a detailed ConOps capturing system architecture, mission environments, and a reference mission, 2. Assess requirements for obtaining metric observations of LLO spacecraft from the lunar surface, 3. Perform a trade study of lunar night survival approaches and develop a thermal model of the sensor, 4. Generate and deliver a synthetic image dataset and assess algorithmic tuning for the existing SSA pipeline, and 5. Identify technology maturation goals and Phase II plan to develop a lander hosted payload. Following Phase I, the system will be well-positioned to rapidly develop and test a prototype and flight hardware design. Our path-to-flight approach emphasizes our intention to field Clavius-S for operation on the Moon, e.g., on one of Astrobotic’s future lander missions.