University of Hawaii
Lunar obligations
$16Mas prime
Lunar awards
36as prime
Its subcontractors
4$2.0M reported
Primes it works for
9$5.9M in subawards
Who it subcontracts to
FLIGHT RECEIVERS FOR ORBITAL REMOTE SENSING OF BURIED LUNAR ICE DEPOSITS VIA CORALS: THE COSMIC RAY LUNAR SOUNDER
FLIGHT RECEIVERS FOR ORBITAL REMOTE SENSING OF BURIED LUNAR ICE DEPOSITS VIA CORALS: THE COSMIC RAY LUNAR SOUNDER
FLIGHT RECEIVERS FOR ORBITAL REMOTE SENSING OF BURIED LUNAR ICE DEPOSITS VIA CORALS: THE COSMIC RAY LUNAR SOUNDER
FLIGHT RECEIVERS FOR ORBITAL REMOTE SENSING OF BURIED LUNAR ICE DEPOSITS VIA CORALS: THE COSMIC RAY LUNAR SOUNDER
Who it works for
BRIEF STATEMENT OF WORK FOR SUBCONTRACT TO UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA FROM WUSTL TITLE: INTERDISCIPLINARY CONSORTIUM FOR EVALUATING VOLATILE ORIGINS (ICE FIVE-O) UH INSTITUTIONAL PI: HOPE ISHII WUSTL PI: JEFFREY GILLIS-DAVIS THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AS PART OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY CONSORTIUM FOR EVALUATING VOLATILE ORIGINS (ICE FIVE-O) TEAM AIMS TO RESOLVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORIGINS AND INTERACTIONS OF LUNAR VOLATILE DEPOSITS BY CONDUCTING PERFORMING STATE-OF-THE-ART SAMPLE ANALYSES AND REMOTE SENSING CHARACTERIZATION OF VOLATILE BEARING SAMPLES. THE NAMED UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FACULTY WILL CONDUCT THE FOLLOWING TASKS IN SUPPORT OF THE ICE FIVE-O EFFORT. TASK 1: ANALYTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF VOLATILE EXPOSED MATERIALS. ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS CAPABLE OF NM-SCALE SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND WITH HIGH SPECTROSCOPIC SENSITIVITY ARE NEEDED TO STUDY SPACE WEATHERING OWING TO THE NM-SCALE DIMENSIONS OVER WHICH IT TAKES PLACE. WE WILL SEEK EVIDENCE OF ALTERATION IN EXPERIMENTALLY PROCESSED MATERIALS AND EXISTING APOLLO AND LUNAR METEORITE SAMPLES. WE WILL SEARCH FOR EVIDENCE OF CHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL ALTERATION IN REGOLITH SAMPLES AND ANALOGS THAT RESULT FROM THE INTERACTION OF MINERALS AND GLASS GRAINS WITH ICES AS THEY UNDERGO THERMAL PERTURBATIONS. THE EFFORT OF TASK 1 WILL CHARACTERIZE PRE- AND POST-IRRADIATED ANALOGUE MATERIALS AND APOLLO SAMPLES DELIVERED BY WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, AS WELL AS SOLAR WIND-IRRADIATED INTERPLANETARY DUST. FOLLOWING IN-SITU CHARACTERIZATIONS OF SAMPLES THAT HAVE UNDERGONE EXPERIMENTAL PROCESSING, SUB-SAMPLES WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO A FIB FOR THIN (TEM) SECTION PREPARATION. ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, WITH SUB-NANOMETER IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPIC RESOLUTION, WILL EXAMINE THIN (<100 NM) AMORPHOUS RIMS AND AGGLUTINATES FOR SIGNS OF MODIFICATION AND/OR SEQUESTRATION OF VOLATILES. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST, THE DISTRIBUTION OF METEORITIC ORGANIC MATTER WILL BE CHARACTERIZED WITH UNPRECEDENTED 1-3 NM SPATIAL RESOLUTION. THE STUDY OF ORGANICS WILL EXPLOIT THEIR CHEMISTRY (O/C, N/C, S/C) AND MOLECULAR FUNCTIONALITIES AS A PROXY FOR FORMER ICES AND TRACE THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH MINERAL PHASES. TASK 2: REMOTE SENSING. WE HAVE TWO FOCUS AREAS: DETECTION AND QUANTIFICATION OF ORGANICS AND UNDERSTANDING THE INTERPLAY OF REFLECTANCE AND THERMAL EMISSION THAT CONFOUNDS ESTIMATES OF WATER ABUNDANCE ON THE LUNAR SURFACE. SEVERAL LINES OF EVIDENCE SUPPORT THE PRESENCE OF ORGANICS ON THE MOON AND MERCURY, BUT LIMITS TO DETECTION USING REMOTE METHODS ARE POORLY KNOWN. WE WILL ADDRESS THIS WITH A COMBINATION OF MEASUREMENT AND THEORY AND SEARCH FOR ORGANICS USING EXISTING TELESCOPIC DATA. THE PRESENCE OF SURFACE WATER OR HYDROXYL IS ESTABLISHED, BUT NAGGING CONTROVERSY CONFOUNDS THE CONCLUSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF UNCERTAINTIES. THROUGH EXPERIMENT AND MODELING WE WILL ADDRESS THESE ISSUES TO DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING TO THE LIMITS OF REMOTE SENSING FOR WATER DETECTION AND MAPPING. TASK 3: SCIENCE ACTIVATION. WILL DEVELOP, FIELD-TEST AND DISSEMINATE PLACED-BASED, NASA-RELEVANT STEAM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING FOR HALEAKALA AND HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARKS IN HAWAII. KUPUNA WILL BE A KEY PART OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM; THIS IS A BEST PRACTICE FOR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
ANALYSES OF APOLLO AND LUNAR-RELATED MATERIALS TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF VOLATILE ELEMENTS IN THEM AND THEIR SOURCE REGIONS, IN AN EFFORT TO CHARACTERIZE THE VOLATILE CYCLE OF THE MOON. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE INTEGRATED WITH THOSE OF OTHER TEAM INVESTIGATORS WHO ARE STUDYING ADDITIONAL PETROLOGICAL, GEOCHEMICAL, AND ISOTOPIC ATTRIBUTES OF THE SAMPLES AND/OR ARE INVESTIGATING RELATED LUNAR AND ASTEROID SCIENCE ISSUES AS PART OF THE CENTER FOR LUNAR SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION (CLSE) ACTIVITIES. WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE INTELLECTUAL DISCUSSION OF THE TEAM AND WORK WITH THE TEAM TO EXPLORE THE SCIENCE PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED AND, WHEN WARRANTED AND APPROVED BY THE PI, FOLLOW NEW LEADS THAT THE WORK REVEALS. WILL PARTICIPATE IN TEAM MEETINGS, USING TELE-CONFERENCING TOOLS. WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH OTHER SENIOR CLSE SCIENTISTS AND MEET PEERS ON THE TEAM.
CO-I COSTELLO DR. EMILY COSTELLO IS A RESEARCH CORPORATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII (RCUH) RESEARCH FELLOW, WORKING FROM HONOLULU, HI. SHE IS AN EXPERT IN LUNAR SURFACE PROCESSES INCLUDING IMPACT GARDENING AND SPACE WEATHERING. SHE WILL BRING THAT EXPERIENCE TO BEAR AS THE SPACE WEATHERING LEAD ON THE PROPOSED PROJECT AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETING TASKS RELATED TO ANALYSIS OF CRATER RAY COMPOSITION AND INVESTIGATION OF SUBMICROSCOPIC IRON ABUNDANCE AS AN INDICATOR OF SPACE WEATHERING. BASED ON PRELIMINARY WORK PERFORMED IN PREPARATION FOR THIS PROPOSAL, WE ANTICIPATE THAT CO-I COSTELLO WILL REQUIRE 1.5 MONTHS OF SUPPORT EACH YEAR TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED TASKS FOR WHICH SHE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE. CO-I TAI UDOVICIC DR. CHRISTIAN TAI UDOVICIC WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE CATALOG OF LUNAR RAYED AND ROCKY CRATERS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THERMOPHYSICALLY DISTINCT PROPERTIES IDENTIFIABLE IN LRO DIVINER THERMAL RADIOMETER DATA (E.G., COLD SPOT CRATERS, H-PARAMETER RAYS). HE WILL ALSO AID IN DEVELOPING CODE TO EXTRACT COMPOSITIONAL INFORMATION SPATIALLY CORRELATED WITH EACH CRATER IN THE DATABASE. HE WILL SUPPORT THE COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS OF CRATERS IN THE DATABASE THROUGH SPATIAL CORRELATION OF ROCKS AND THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES WITH THE AGES, SIZES, AND LOCATIONS OF CRATERS. CO-I TAI UDOCIVIV WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF THE BAYESIAN INFERENCE FRAMEWORK TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRATER RAYS, ROCKS, AND AGE, IN ADDITION TO ASSISTING WITH DRAFTING A MANUSCRIPT COMPILING THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY. TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED WORK, CO-I TAI UDOVICI WILL REQUIRE 2.1 WORK MONTHS IN Y1, 1.9 MONTHS IN Y2, AND 1.5 WORK MONTHS IN Y3.
DR. PAUL G. LUCEY AND MS. LINGZHI SUN WILL PROVIDE EXPERTISE IN THE USE OF THE SPECTRAL INTERFEROMETER TO BE USED FOR THIS PROJECT. MS. SUN IS EXPERIENCED IN THE HANDLING AND SPECTRAL MEASUREMENT OF LUNAR SOILS.
SHADOWCAM: SEEING IN THE DARK
DR. SHUAI LI WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROPOSAL ENTITLED “CENTER FOR LUNAR ENVIRONMENT AND VOLATILE EXPLORATION RESEARCH (CLEVER)”. IN YEAR 1, DR. SHUAI LI WILL CONTRIBUTE TO TASK 1OF THEME 1. HE WILL CONTRIBUTE HIS EXPERTISE ON TASK 1: MEASURE ION, ELECTRON, PHOTON AND METEOROID IMPACT INDUCED FORMATION AND RELEASE OF HYDROGEN, METHANE AND WATER IN/ON LUNAR REGOLITH. SPECIFICALLY, DR. LI WILL PROVIDE HOW THE LUNAR SURFACE WATER CONTENT VARIES WITH THE CHANGES OF THE FLUX OF ION, ELECTRON, AND PHOTON THROUGH ANALYZING THE REMOTE SENSING DATA SUCH AS THE MOON MINERALOGY MAPPER (M3) DATA.
DR. SIEGLER'S ROLE WILL BE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THERMAL MODELING FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LV- CIRIS INSTRUMENT ABOARD THE LUNAR-VISE ROVER. HE WILL AID IN DESIGNING THERMAL EXPERIMENTS THAT CAN BE PERFORMED ON THE LUNAR SURFACE AND PLANNING FOR THEIR ACTIVITY IN THE TIME CONSTRAINED MISSION TIMELINE. HE WILL WORK WITH THE OTHER INSTRUMENT TEAMS TO DEVELOP EXPERIMENTS THAT CAN BE DONE ON THIS MISSION. FOR THIS PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THE MISSION, HE WILL PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY TELECONS, PERFORM MODELING TASKS WHEN NEEDED, AND SUPERVISE A PHD STUDENT (JOSE MARTINEZ-CAMACHO), WHO IS WORKING ON THE PROJECT WITH HIM.
TO CONSTRAIN THE FORMATION AGE(S) OF THE MAGNETITE, WE WILL (I) IDENTIFY CO-PRECIPITATED MAGNETITE AND CARBONATES IN THE BENNU SAMPLES USING THE MINERALOGY, PETROGRAPHY (SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (SEM), ELECTRON PROBE MICROANALYSIS (EPMA)), AND O-ISOTOPE COMPOSITIONS (SECONDARY ION MASS-SPECTROMETRY (SIMS) OF THESE MINERALS, AND (II) ANALYZE 53MN-53CR ISOTOPE SYSTEMATICS OF CARBONATES (SIMS). OXYGEN- AND MN-CR SYSTEMATICS OF MAGNETITE AND CARBONATES WOULD BE ALSO IMPORTANT FOR CONSTRAINING TEMPERATURE OF AQUEOUS ALTERATION AND AGE OF AQUEOUS ACTIVITY IN THE BENNU PARENT ASTEROID. ALL MEASUREMENTS WILL BE DONE BY DR. A. KROT USING JEOL JXA-8500F ELECTRON MICROPROBE AND CAMECA IMS-1280 SIMS. ALL THESE INSTRUMENTS ARE PRESENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PROPOSED MEASUREMENTS IN 2022-2026.
DR. MATTHEW SIEGLER OF UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT MANOA WILL AID IN DATA INTERPRETATION, ARCHIVAL AND INITIAL ANALYSIS AND PUBLICATION OF RESULTS FROM THE LISTER HEAT FLOW PROBE, WHICH WILL BE LAUNCHING TO THE MOON IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS. HE WILL WORK WITH THE TEAM TO DEVELOP THERMAL MODELS TO UNDERSTAND THE DATA FROM THIS MISSION AND ITS TEAM TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE MODEL OF EXPECTED SURFACE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS USING 3D RAY TRACING THERMAL MODELS DEVELOPED FOR THE DIVINER INSTRUMENT AND VIPER MISSION. HE WILL ATTEND REGULAR TELECONS, TRAVEL TO TEAM MEETINGS AND SUPPORT ACADEMIC PROMOTION OF THE INSTRUMENT SCIENCE AT CONFERENCES.
Lunar awards as prime
| Award | Description | Period | Obligated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80NSSC22K0851 | FLIGHT RECEIVERS FOR ORBITAL REMOTE SENSING OF BURIED LUNAR ICE DEPOSITS VIA CORALS: THE COSMIC RAY LUNAR SOUNDER | 2022-04-04 → 2027-04-03 | $2.8M |
| 80NSSC25K7007 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2024-10-07 → 2027-10-06 | $2.7M |
| 80MSFC26C0003 | L-MAPS IS A MICROWAVE SPECTROMETER WITH A DLR-CONTRIBUTED GROUND PENETRATING RADAR SUBSYSTEM USED TO MEASURE SUBSURFACE STRUCTURE, TEMPERATURES, AND ID SUBSURFACE ICE. THIS WORK SUPPORTS THE LUNAR TERRAIN VEHICLE INSTRUMENTS (LTVI) PROGRAM. | 2026-07-02 → 2029-11-30 | $1.4M |
| 80NSSC25K7019 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2024-10-07 → 2027-10-06 | $811K |
| 80NSSC25K7825 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-03-01 → 2028-02-29 | $692K |
| 80NSSC19K0543 | BACKGROUND: PLANETARY REGOLITH IS THE MEDIUM BY WHICH WE INVESTIGATE THE EVOLUTION OF PLANETARY SURFACES. IT IS WHAT WE SENSE WITH REMOTE SENSING AND THE MATERIAL WE RETURN WHEN COLLECTING SAMPLES. THE DOMINANT FORCE SHAPING AND RE-SHAPING THE REGOLITH ON AIRLESS BODIES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM IS IMPACT BOMBARDMENT. WE HAVE RECONSTITUTED THE PIONEERING LUNAR REGOLITH OVERTURN MODEL PRESENTED BY GAULT ET AL. (1974). KEY UPDATES ARE THE INCLUSION OF VARIABLE MATERIAL PROPERTIES AND SECONDARY IMPACTS. THESE UPDATES CONTRIBUTE AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT PROCESSING OF THE LUNAR SURFACE AND BROADEN THE APPLICABILITY OF THE MODEL BEYOND ITS ORIGINAL INTENT. A PAPER PRESENTING THE UPDATED MODEL AND LUNAR APPLICATION INCLUDING SECONDARIES AND VALIDATION IS CURRENTLY IN REVIEW WITH ICARUS. THE PROJECT WILL PRODUCE NEW INSIGHTS FOR FOUR OBJECTS THROUGH APPLICATION OF THIS REJUVENATED REGOLITH EVOLUTION MODEL. THE THICKNESS OF THE LUNAR HIGHLANDS REGOLITH WILL BE MODELED TO PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF THE PRE-ORIENTALE IMPACT FLUX THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GENERATE THE MEASURED REGOLITH. EXISTING ESTIMATES ARE BASED ON CRATER COUNTS; THE PROJECT WOULD SUPPLY INDEPENDENT INSIGHT. THIS NEW ESTIMATE IS RELEVANT BOTH TO THE INTENSITY OF THE FINAL BOMBARDMENT OF THE MOON AND INNER PLANETS AND TO THE AGE AT WHICH THE LUNAR CRUST SOLIDIFIED SUFFICIENTLY TO PRODUCE AN UNCONSOLIDATED FRAGMENTAL REGOLITH. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO UPDATE AND POSSIBLY ENTIRELY CHANGE A FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETER IN LUNAR GEOLOGY: THE THICKNESS OF THE HIGHLANDS REGOLITH. THE STARK DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ABUNDANCE OF ICE AT THE POLES OF MERCURY AND THE MOON HAS NO CURRENT EXPLANATION OTHER THAN MERCURY HAVING EXPERIENCED A RECENT SERENDIPITOUS LARGE ICY IMPACT. HOWEVER THE IMPACT FLUX AT MERCURY AT REGOLITH-PRODUCING SIZES IS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN AT THE MOON. OUR ANALYSIS WILL DETERMINE IF REGOLITH OVERTURN CAN EXPLAIN THIS UNRESOLVED PROBLEM IN SOLAR SYSTEM VOLATILES. CERES TOO POSSESSES ICE DEPOSITS IN PERMANENT SHADOW AND ITS LATITUDE DEPENDENT SHALLOW BURIED ICE DISTRIBUTION APPEARS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THERMAL MODELS. HOWEVER THE MODEL DEPTH TO ICE NEAR THE POLES IS EXTREMELY SHALLOW AND THUS APPEARS TO BE READILY SUSCEPTIBLE TO DOMINANCE BY REGOLITH OVERTURN. THIS PROJECT WILL CLARIFY THE IMPORTANCE OF REGOLITH OVERTURN IN UNDERSTANDING SHALLOW ICE ON CERES. FINALLY EUROPA IS A LIKELY TARGET FOR SURFACE SAMPLING BY A LANDER TO SEEK EVIDENCE OF LIFE THROUGH CHARACTERIZATION OF ORGANIC MOLECULES. HOWEVER RADIATION RAPIDLY BREAKS DOWN ORGANIC MOLECULES MAKING SOME FORM OF SUBSURFACE SAMPLING DESIRABLE. THIS PROJECT WILL DETERMINE THE DEPTH TO MATERIAL THAT HAS NOT BEEN CYCLED TO THE RADIOLYTICALLY ALTERED SURFACE DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF ANY EUROPA SAMPLE. | 2019-02-22 → 2024-02-21 | $674K |
| NNX16AO79G | PROTON AND PHOTON IRRADIATION OF LUNAR MATERIALS: INVESTIGATING THE CHEMICAL EVOLUTION OF WATER ON THE MOON'S SURFACEKEY OBJECTIVE&SIGNIFICANCE: THE | 2016-08-01 → 2020-07-31 | $596K |
| 80NSSC19K0339 | IN THE PAST DECADE OBSERVATIONS OF THE MOON BY SPACECRAFT AND THE INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF ANALYTICAL METHODS APPLIED TO LUNAR SAMPLES HAVE CREATED A NEW PARADIGM FOR THE ABUNDANCE OF WATER BOTH ON AND IN THE MOON. WHILE THE MOON WAS PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED TO BE COMPLETELY DRY IT IS NOW KNOWN THAT WATER IS PRESENT ON THE SURFACE AND IN MANY LUNAR SAMPLES AT THE LEVEL OF 100 PARTS PER MILLION OR GREATER. SPACECRAFT OBSERVATIONS ESTABLISHED THAT A 3 UM ABSORPTION FEATURE ATTRIBUTABLE TO WATER OR HYDROXYL WAS PRESENT ON THE SURFACE ESPECIALLY AT HIGH LATITUDES AND AWAY FROM THE SUBSOLAR POINT AT LOW LATITUDES. THE SPACECRAFT DATA REVEAL THAT THE 3 UM FEATURE VARIES IN STRENGTH AND SPECTRAL PROPERTIES WITH THE LUNAR TIME OF DAY AND THE LOCAL GEOLOGY OF THE MOON. LIMITATIONS OF EXISTING SPACECRAFT DATA LEAVE MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED. WHILE THE 3UM FEATURE VARIES WITH LUNAR TIME OF DAY ESPECIALLY AT MID TO HIGH LATITUDES CONTROVERSIES REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THERMAL EMISSION FROM THE SPECTRA LEAVE OPEN THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE ABUNDANCE OF WATER INDEED VARIES WITH TIME. THE THERMAL CORRECTIONS OF 3UM DATA THAT SUGGEST ABUNDANCE VARIATIONS IMPLY A LARGE DIURNAL SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE LUNAR ATMOSPHERE AND TO THE LUNAR COLD TRAPS. THIS SUPPLY IF QUANTIFIED AND ASSOCIATED WITH WELL UNDERSTOOD UNCERTAINTIES WOULD PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT CONSTRAINT ON THE NATURE OF THE LUNAR ATMOSPHERE AND THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE LUNAR POLAR COLD TRAPS WHERE ICE HAS BEEN REPORTED. OBSERVATIONS OF THE MOON AT HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION (~KM SCALE) HAS REVEALED VARIATIONS IN THE NATURE OF THE 3 UM BAND INDEPENDENT OF TEMPERATURE STRONGLY SUGGESTING A COMPOSITIONALLY DEPENDENT VARIATION IN THE TYPE OF WATER AND ITS ACCOMMODATION IN LUNAR MATERIALS. THE MARE AND HIGHLANDS SHOW DIFFERENT BAND STRENGTHS WHERE LUNAR VOLCANIC PYROCLASTIC DEPOSITS OFTEN SHOW 3 UM BAND DEPTHS GREATER THAN THE BACKGROUND SUGGESTING HIGHER WATER ABUNDANCES. SMALL LOCAL 3UM ANOMALIES THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH WATER OR HYDROXYL IN LUNAR IGNEOUS MINERALS ARE ALSO FOUND IN MANY PLACES. YET THE SPECTRAL DATA FOR ALL THESE LOCATIONS ARE CONFINED TO WAVELENGTHS LESS THAN 3 UM GREATLY LIMITING INSIGHTS INTO THE TYPES OF WATER OR MATERIALS THAT MIGHT BE PRESENT. GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS OF THE MOON CAN OVERCOME MANY OF THESE LIMITATIONS. IN THIS PROJECT WE PROPOSE USING THE SPEX LONG CROSS-DISPERSED INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH AT THE NASA INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY TO OBTAIN SPECTRA IN THE 3UM REGION. SPEX COVERS THE REGION OF CHARACTERISTIC WATER ABSORPTIONS OF SOLIDS AND IS COMMONLY USED IN ASTEROID SPECTROSCOPY. GROUND-BASED DATA CAN BE OBTAINED AT PHOTOMETRIC AND PHASE ANGLES MORE CONDUCIVE TO THE THERMAL CORRECTION OF REFLECTANCE DATA THAN SPACECRAFT DATA. DATA CAN ALSO BE COLLECTED AT 2 KM RESOLUTION ENABLING DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WATER ABSORPTION OF IDENTIFIED 3 UM ANOMALIES. THESE OBSERVATIONS WILL SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATION IN WATER ON THE MOON. THIS PROJECT IS RELEVANT TO SOLAR SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS BECAUSE IT COLLECTS AND ANALYZES NEW DATA FROM GROUNDBASED TELESCOPES. THE PROJECT IS RELEVANT TO NASA BECAUSE IT DIRECTLY ADDRESSES PROBLEMS CALLED OUT IN THE NASA DECADAL SURVEY INCLUDING: HOW ARE VOLATILE ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS DISTRIBUTED TRANSPORTED AND SEQUESTERED IN NEAR-SURFACE ENVIRONMENTS ON THE SURFACES OF THE MOON AND MERCURY? WHAT FRACTIONS OF VOLATILES WERE OUTGASSED FROM THOSE PLANETS INTERIORS AND WHAT FRACTIONS REPRESENT LATE METEORITIC AND COMETARY INFALL? WHAT ARE THE INVENTORIES AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF VOLATILE ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS (SPECIES ABUNDANCES AND ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS) IN THE MANTLES AND CRUSTS OF THE INNER PLANETS? | 2018-12-24 → 2023-02-20 | $572K |
| 80NSSC22K0103 | OUR FIRST OBJECTIVE SEEKS TO CHARACTERIZE THE MOBILITY OF PHOSPHORUS IN OLIVINE CRYSTALS AT NATURAL CONCENTRATIONS AND CONDITIONS RELEVANT TO THE DEEP LUNAR CRUST/ UPPER MANTLE. OUR SECOND OBJECTIVE IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PHOSPHORUS ENRICHMENT WE OBSERVED IN A PREDECESSOR AWARD FOCUSING ON TROCTOLITE 76535 IS RARE (OR COMMON) AMONG MEMBERS OF THE MG-SUITE OF LUNAR CRUSTAL ROCKS. OUR THIRD OBJECTIVE IS TO EVALUATE (A) THE CONDITIONS THAT LEAD TO PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE BY OLIVINE CRYSTALS (B) THE EFFICACY OF REACTIVE MELT TRANSPORT AS A MECHANISM FOR THE FORMATION OF MG-SUITE TROCTOLITE AND (C) THE VIABILITY OF TWO LEADING IDEAS FOR THE MG-SUITE PARENT MAGMAS. OUR DETERMINATION OF THE DIFFUSIVITY OF P IN OLIVINE IS ESSENTIAL FOR INTERPRETING ANCIENT LUNAR ROCKS OF THE LUNAR CRUST. DETERMINING THE ELAPSED TIME THESE MATERIALS SPENT AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THERMAL EVOLUTION OF THEIR SOURCE REGION WITHIN THE MOON S INTERIOR. OUR STUDY OF OTHER SAMPLES IN THE LUNAR SUITE WILL ESTABLISH THE GENERAL RELEVANCE OF TROCTOLITE 76535 WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY EXAMINED AND WHICH YIELDED SURPRISING RESULTS. COMPOSITIONAL HETEROGENEITIES WITHIN CRYSTALS OF OLIVINE REVEAL A COMPLEX HISTORY OF GROWTH DISSOLUTION AND RE-GROWTH. IF FINE-SCALE ENRICHMENTS OF PHOSPHORUS ARE PRESENT IN MANY SAMPLES AND ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE TRUNCATED WITHIN COHERENT OLIVINE CRYSTALS (AS WE OBSERVE IN 76535) THE REACTIVE DISSOLUTION AND RE-PRECIPITATION CYCLE WILL EMERGE AS GERMANE TO MEMBERS OF THE LUNAR MG-SUITE THE COMMUNITY WILL NEED TO CONSIDER THESE PROCESSES IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER MGSUITE ROCKS. OUR PROPOSED REACTIVE INFILTRATION EXPERIMENTS ARE AIMED AT UNDERSTANDING MELT TRANSPORT THROUGH CRYSTAL MUSH AND WILL TEST THE EFFICACY OF TWO LEADING PROPOSED PARENT MAGMA COMPOSITIONS FOR GENERATING THE FEATURES WE OBSERVED IN 76535. THIS PROPOSAL IS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM WORKINGS (SSW) PROGRAM ELEMENT AND SPECIFICALLY TO THE SECTIONS ENTITLED SURFACES AND INTERIORS AND MANTLE EVOLUTION WHICH ARTICULATE RESPECTIVELY THE NEED TO "DETERMINE THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE CHEMISTRY AND DYNAMICS OF SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS AND IDENTIFY AND UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES THAT OCCUR WITHIN THESE STRUCTURES " AND TO "UNDERSTAND THE CHEMICAL EVOLUTION AND PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF MANTLES AND HOW THEY CHANGE OVER TIME." | 2021-10-15 → 2025-10-14 | $493K |
| NNX16AO77G | LUNAR TROCTOLITE 76535 IS A PRISTINE SAMPLE OF THE LUNAR HIGHLANDS MG SUITE AND HAS BEEN A FOCUS OF INTENSE STUDY SINCE ITS RETURN FROM THE APOLLO 17 MISSION. THE PETROLOGY AND RADIOISOTOPE CHRONOMETRY OF MG SUITE MATERIALS SUGGEST A COMPLEX HISTORY INCLUDING CONVECTIVE MANTLE OVERTURN AND JUXTAPOSITION OF CUMULATES FROM THE LUNAR MAGMA OCEAN AGAINST THE BASE OF A PRIMORDIAL CRUST TO CREATE A HYBRIDIZED PARENT CAPABLE OF CRYSTALLIZING FORSTERITE AND ANORTHITE. KEY QUESTIONS REMAIN HOWEVER REGARDING THE TIMESCALES OF MAGMA COOLING CRYSTAL ACCUMULATION AND METASOMATISM RELATIVE TO THE FORMATION OF FERROAN ANORTHOSITE CRUST. THIS STUDY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE MAGMATIC AND SUBSOLIDUS INTRA-GRAIN CHEMICAL MASS TRANSFER BY EXPLOITING SUBTLE COMPOSITIONAL GRADIENTS AND MICROTEXTURES THAT ATTEST TO THE ARRESTED TRANSITION TO FULL CHEMICAL EQUILIBRATION DURING COOLING OF 76535. | 2016-07-28 → 2022-07-27 | $426K |
| 80NSSC21K0709 | SURFACE EXPOSED WATER ICE ON THE MOON WAS DIRECTLY DETECTED VIA ITS UNIQUE INFRARED (IR) ABSORPTIONS. UP TO 30 WT.% ICE IS INFERRED FROM THREE STRONG | 2021-08-01 → 2025-07-31 | $387K |
| 80NSSC25K7049 | MARE HUMORUM HOSTS NUMEROUS SMALL CRATERS (< 10 KM DIAMETER) WHICH PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO PROBE THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE NEAR-SURFACE VOLCANIC MATERIALS AND TO GAIN NEW INSIGHT INTO BOTH THE IMPACT CRATERING PROCESS AND LUNAR VOLCANISM. RECENT UPDATES TO THE ROCK ABUNDANCE (RA) DATASET WHICH INCLUDES THE FULL TEMPORAL RANGE OF THE LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER DIVINER [1] HAVE REVEALED NUANCES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF 1 M AND LARGER ROCKS IN MARE HUMORUM. THE SURFACE IN GENERAL IS PEPPERED WITH SMALL ROCKY CRATERS. MOST OF HUMORUM'S CRATERS HAVE A ROCK ABUNDANCE SIGNATURE IN THE EJECTA [2] HOWEVER MANY LARGE CRATERS ON MARE HUMORUM FEATURE ROCK-POOR HALOS. RADAR-DARK HALO CRATERS PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED IN MARE HUMORUM [3] ALSO HAVE ROCK-POOR HALOS IN RA. SMALL SUPERIMPOSED CRATERS MAY BE THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING EVOLUTION AND FORMATION PROCESSES. | 2024-10-04 → 2027-10-03 | $376K |
| NNX17AK92G | THE LUNAR SCIENCE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM A VERY LARGE QUANTITY OF SPECTRAL DATA FROM SEVERAL MISSIONS THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE MOON AT RESOLUTIONS AS HIGH AS 20-M. HOWEVER INTERPRETATION OF SPECTRAL DATA IS OFTEN THE PROVINCE OF EXPERTS WHICH LIMITS THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE COMPOSITIONAL INFORMATION. WHILE THERE ARE MANY APPROACHES TO THE ANALYSIS OF SPECTRAL DATA OUR RESEARCH GROUP HAS PURSUED PUBLICATION AND ARCHIVING OF SPECTRALLY-DERIVED MINERAL MAPS. MODAL ABUNDANCE OF THE MAJOR SILICATE MINERALS IS A QUANTITY USED THROUGHOUT GEOLOGY AND IS THE BASIS FOR THE NOMENCLATURE OF LUNAR ROCKS. OUR TEAM HAS RECENTLY ARCHIVED MAPS AT THE USGS OF THE MINERAL SYSTEM PLAGIOCLASE-OLIVINE-ORTHOPYROXENE-CLINOPYROXENE DERIVED FROM KAGUYA MULTIBAND IMAGER DATA AT 60-M (512 PPD) RESOLUTION FOR LATITUDES BETWEEN +/- 50 DEGREES. THE PROPOSED PROJECT HAS THESE OBJECTIVES: 1) PRODUCE AND ARCHIVE MINERAL MAPS AT 20-M RESOLUTION FROM KAGUYA UVVIS MULTIBAND IMAGER DATA CONSTRAINED BY OUR PRIOR MAPS DATA FROM M3 KAGUYA SPECTRAL PROFILER AND FROM DIVINER; 2) VALIDATE THESE DATA WITH AN EXISTING DATA BASE OF X-DIFFRACTION DERIVED MODAL ABUNDANCE OF APOLLO SOILS FOR OVER 100 SAMPLING SITES THAT CAN BE INDIVIDUALLY RESOLVED IN MULTIBAND IMAGER DATA. OUR APPROACH WITH THE EXISTING 60-M DATA SET WAS TO DERIVE MINERAL ABUNDANCE BY COMPARING MI SPECTRA TO RESULTS OF A RADIATIVE TRANSFER MODEL OF LUNAR SOIL. IN ADDITION WILL ALSO USE CHANDRAYAAN-1 M3 KAGUYA SPECTRAL PROFILER AND LROC WAC TO SUPPORT MAPPING ILMENITE GLASS AND SPINEL. WE WILL APPLY THESE RESULTS AS AN ADDITIONAL CONSTRAINT. THE RESULTS WILL THEN BE COMPARED TO AND FINALLY RECONCILED WITH THE MODAL MINERAL ABUNDANCES FOR 56 RESOLVED APOLLO SAMPLING SITES COVERED BY 124 SOILS FOR WHICH WE HAVE MINERAL ABUNDANCES MEASURED IN THE LABORATORY. THE PROJECT GENERATES AND ARCHIVES HIGHER ORDER DATA PRODUCTS (MINERAL MAPS) FROM EXISTING MISSION DATA SETS AND VALIDATES THOSE DATA. THE PROJECT WILL NOT INCLUDE SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF THE MAPS GENERATED. THE MINERAL MAPS AND MODAL DATA WOULD BE INVALUABLE FOR STUDIES PERFORMED UNDER OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE LUNAR DATA ANALYSIS PROGRAM OR OTHER SUPPORT FOR LUNAR SCIENCE. | 2017-05-16 → 2021-05-15 | $346K |
| 80NSSC23K1478 | UNVEILING THE FORMATION OF HEMATITE ON THE MOON BY LABORATORY SIMULATIONS OF MICROMETEORITE BOMBARDMENT AND IRRADIATION BY OXYGEN IONS PROTONS AND UV PHOTONS | 2023-12-01 → 2025-11-30 | $307K |
| 80NSSC25K7155 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-01-01 → 2027-12-31 | $299K |
| 80NSSC19K0369 | OUR PROPOSAL AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE SHIELDING EFFECT OF EARTH'S MAGNETOTAIL ON THE FORMATION OF LUNAR SURFACE WATER (OH/H2O) USING THE WATER ABSORPTION BANDS OF M3 DATA NEAR 3 MICRON. HYDROGEN FROM THE SOLAR WIND PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF LUNAR SURFACE WATER. THE TEMPORAL (I.E. DIURNAL) VARIATION OF THE LUNAR SURFACE WATER SUGGESTS THAT THE FORMATION OF WATER BY SOLAR WIND IMPLANTATION IS AN INSTANTANEOUS PROCESS. BUT BECAUSE THE MOON TRAVERSES THROUGH EARTH'S MAGNETOTAIL IN EACH LUNAR DAY THE MAGNETOTAIL CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE FLUX OF SOLAR WIND HYDROGEN HITTING THE LUNAR SURFACE. THUS LESS WATER IS PREDICTED TO BE PRESENT AT LOCATIONS IN THE MAGNETOTAIL THAT REPELS SOLAR WIND HYDROGEN. HOWEVER THE LYMAN ALPHA MAPPING PROJECT (LAMP) OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST NO HYDRATION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGIONS IN AND OUT OF THE MAGNETOTAIL [HENDRIX ET AL. 2016]. WE WILL VERIFY THE OBSERVATIONS BY [HENDRIX ET AL. 2016] WITH M3 DATA. WE PROPOSE TO ASSESS THE VARIATION OF LUNAR SURFACE WATER DURING THE MOON TRAVERSES THROUGH THE MAGNETOTAIL. OUR PREVIOUS STUDY SHOWS THAT THE LUNAR SURFACE WATER VARIES WITH LATITUDE LOCAL TIME AND OPTICAL MATURITY. WE WILL EXAMINE THE WATER VARIATION AT THE SAME LATITUDE. HOWEVER THE EFFECTS FROM LOCAL TIME AND OPTICAL MATURITY NEED TO BE ACCOMMODATED. FIVE TASKS ARE PROPOSED FOR ACHIEVING OUR GOALS. IN TASK 1 WE WILL CALCULATE THE LUNAR PHASE OF EACH M3 IMAGE CUBE BASED ON THEIR ACQUISITION TIME AND COLLECT ALL M3 RADIANCE AND AUXILIARY DATA (LEVEL 1B) THAT WERE ACQUIRED FROM 1 EARTH'S DAY BEFORE ENTERING THE MAGNETOTAIL TO 1 EARTH'S DAY AFTER EXITING THE MAGNETOTAIL (LUNAR PHASES FROM 270 W TO 80 E). THESE DATA WILL BE PROCESSED ACCORDING TO THEIR OPTICAL PERIODS (5 OPS) AND THE "COLD" / "WARM" CONDITIONS OF THE M3 SENSOR. IN TASK 2 WE WILL CALIBRATE THE COLLECTED M3 DATA IN TASK 1 USING THE SAME METHODS AS THAT M3 TEAM USED EXCEPT THAT WE WILL USE OUR NEW THERMAL CORRECTION MODEL [LI AND MILLIKEN 2016]. WE WILL THEN DERIVE THE ABSORPTION STRENGTH MAP OF WATER BAND AT 2.86 MICRON (BAND 82) FROM THE NEW CALIBRATED M3 DATA. IN TASK 3 WE WILL DERIVE THE LOCAL TIME OF ALL COLLECTED M3 DATA IN TASK 1 USING THE SAME METHOD AS THAT IN LI AND MILLIKEN [2017]. THE RESPECTIVE OPTICAL MATURITY MAP (OMAT) WILL BE DERIVED FROM THE MULTIBAND IMAGER (MI) DATA ONBOARD THE JAPANESE KAGUYA MISSION. IN TASK 4 WE WILL MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS FROM LOCAL TIME AND OPTICAL MATURITY FOR OUR WATER MAPS. IN THE FINAL TASK (5) WE WILL ASSESS THE WATER VARIATION BETWEEN THE MOON IN AND OUT OF THE MAGNETOTAIL. POSSIBLE UNCERTAINTIES IN EACH TASK ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. AS A PROOF OF CONCEPT WE PICKED A SMALL PORTION OF M3 DATA FROM OP2C AND PROCESSED THOSE DATA FROM TASK 1 TO TASK 5. STRONG DEPRESSION OF WATER CONTENT FOR REGIONS IN THE MAGNETOTAIL IS OBSERVED IN OUR PILOT STUDY AND IS INDICATIVE OF MAGNETOTAIL SHIELDING EFFECTS. IF RESULTS FROM ALL PROPOSED STUDY ARE POSITIVE WE WILL PROVIDE THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF THE MAGNETOTAIL SHIELDING EFFECT ON THE FORMATION OF THE LUNAR SURFACE WATER WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE POSSIBLE DIFFERENCE OF SPACE WEATHERING BETWEEN THE FAR SIDE AND NEAR SIDE OF THE MOON. OUR IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE OF THE FORMATION LOSS AND RETENTION PROCESSES OF LUNAR SURFACE WATER WILL EVENTUALLY HELP TO UNDERSTAND SIMILAR PROCESSES ON OTHER AIRLESS BODIES IN THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM SUCH AS MERCURY PHOBOS BENNU (TARGET ASTEROID OF OSIRIS-REX) AND RYUGU (TARGET ASTEROID OF HAYABUSA 2). OUR OBJECTIVE AND PROPOSED TASKS MATCH ONE OF THE HIGH PRIORITY AREAS OF LUNAR RESEARCH DESCRIBED IN LDAP: "IDENTIFICATION DISTRIBUTION TRANSPORT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF VOLATILES IN AND ON THE MOON". | 2018-12-20 → 2022-12-19 | $293K |
| 80NSSC24K1728 | SEARCHING FOR SURFICIAL WATER ICE EXPOSURES IN LUNAR PERMANENTLY SHADED REGIONS WITH SHADOWCAM | 2024-10-01 → 2027-09-30 | $285K |
| 80NSSC25K0177 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCYS EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2026-01-01 → 2027-12-31 | $268K |
| 80NSSC25K7735 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-05-20 → 2027-05-19 | $258K |
| 80NSSC21K0288 | THE SURFACE OF THE MOON IS CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED BY SOLAR WIND HYDROGEN. WHEN IMPLANTED SOME OF THE HYDROGEN CAN REACT WITH LUNAR OXYGEN TO FORM HYDROXYL (OH) AND POSSIBLY MOLECULAR WATER (H2O). IN 2009 THREE SPACECRAFT DETECTED A 3 M ABSORPTION BAND ON THE LUNAR SURFACE [PIETERS ET AL. 2009 SUNSHINE ET AL. 2009 CLARK 2009] INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF HYDRATION IN THE FORM OF OH OR POSSIBLY H2O. MOLECULAR WATER HAS BEEN HYPOTHESIZED TO ACCOUNT FOR PART OF THE 3 M ABSORPTION DUE TO DIURNAL VARIATION IN THE BAND BY MIGRATION OF H2O [SUNSHINE ET AL. 2009]. OTHER MODELS PROPOSE THE VARIATION IN THE 3 M BAND IS DUE TO TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT VARIATION IN ABUNDANCE OF OH THROUGH FORMATION OF TRANSIENT BONDS AS HYDROGEN DIFFUSES THROUGH SURFACE GRAINS [TUCKER ET AL. 2019 FARRELL ET AL. 2017 STARUKHINA 2006]. HOWEVER UNTIL RECENTLY THE DEFINITIVE PRESENCE OF MOLECULAR WATER ON THE LUNAR SURFACE COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED AS THE 3 M BAND IS UNABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN OH AND H2O [MCINTOSH ET AL. 2017]. USE OF THE 3 M BAND ALONE CANNOT DIRECTLY TEST EITHER OF THE PROPOSED HYPOTHESES REGARDING THE SPECIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OBSERVED DIURNAL VARIATION. THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF H2O IS IMPORTANT FOR UNDERSTANDING INTERACTIONS OF AN AIRLESS SURFACE WITH THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT. MIGRATION OF H2O TO THE POLES HAS BEEN A CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IN SUPPLYING WATER ICE TO THE POLAR COLD TRAPS FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS [WATSON ET AL. 1961 ARNOLD 1979 SCHORGHOFER 2014]. RECENTLY THE IRON OXIDE MINERAL HEMATITE HAS BEEN DETECTED AT HIGH LUNAR LATITUDES AND HAS BEEN HYPOTHESIZED TO ORIGINATE FROM INTERACTION OF H2O WITH NANOPHASE IRON IN THE LUNAR SURFACE [LI ET AL. 2019]. TO DETECT H2O ON THE MOON WE DEVELOPED A NEW METHOD TO UNAMBIGUOUSLY DETECT H2O ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON USING A NEW WAVELENGTH RANGE. THE WATER MOLECULE EXHIBITS A DIAGNOSTIC FEATURE AT 6 M DUE TO THE H-O-H BEND THAT CANNOT BE PRODUCED BY OH [MCTINTOSH ET AL. 2017 STARUKHINA 2001]. A 6 M BAND HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON MARS [RUFF 2004] IN METEORITE AND LUNAR SAMPLES [TAKIR ET AL. 2019] (THOUGH THE LATTER IS LIKELY DUE TO TERRESTRIAL CONTAMINATION) AND IN SPITZER DATA OF SOME ASTEROIDS [MARCHIS ET AL. 2012]. CURRENTLY THE ONLY INSTRUMENT CAPABLE OF OBSERVING THE MOON FOR DETECTION OF MOLECULAR WATER AT 6 M IS THE FAINT OBJECT INFRARED CAMERA FOR THE SOFIA TELESCOPE (FORCAST) ON THE NASA/DLR STRATOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY FOR INFRARED ASTRONOMY (SOFIA). USING FORCAST ON SOFIA WE MADE THE FIRST DETECTION OF MOLECULAR WATER ON THE SUNLIT LUNAR SURFACE AT 6 M [HONNIBALL ET AL. SUBMITTED]. WE HAVE BEEN GRANTED 2 HOURS OBSERVING TIME ON SOFIA IN CYCLE 8 TO BEGIN ADDRESSING DIURNAL VARIABILITY OF H2O. IN ADDITION IN SUPPORT OF NASA'S VOLATILES INVESTIGATING POLAR EXPLORATION ROVER (VIPER) POLAR ROVER AN ADDITIONAL 20 HOURS OF LUNAR OBSERVATIONS WITH SOFIA FORCAST AIMED AT CHARACTERIZING H2O HAVE BEEN GRANTED AS A SOFIA DIRECTOR S DISCRETIONARY TIME LEGACY PROJECT. WE PROPOSE TO USE SOFIA TO ADDRESS KEY QUESTIONS SURROUNDING OUR INITIAL DETECTION OF WATER: WHERE IS THE WATER LOCATED WITHIN THE SURFACE AND ACROSS THE MOON? HOW DOES IT BEHAVE OVER THE PERIOD OF A LUNAR DAY? DO SMALL GEOLOGIC TARGETS CONTAIN INTERNAL H2O? TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS WE WILL COLLECT SPECTRA OF MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AT DIFFERENT LUNAR TIMES OF DAY. WE WILL OBSERVE LOCATIONS THAT SPAN A WIDE RANGE OF LATITUDES CAPTURING VARIATIONS WITH LATITUDE DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS AND LOCATIONS THAT ARE OF HIGH PRIORITY FOR POTENTIAL LANDING SITES TO ESTIMATE THE ABUNDANCE OF WATER PROVIDING ESSENTIAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE POTENTIAL OF IN-SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION. THE PROJECT IS RELEVANT TO SOLAR SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS BECAUSE IT USES EARTH-BASED ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS OF SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS 6 M DATA OF THE MOON DOES NOT EXIST AND IS NOT PLANNED BY CURRENT SPACECRAFT MISSIONS EITHER IN DEVELOPMENT OR IN OPERATION. | 2021-01-15 → 2024-01-14 | $236K |
| 80NSSC19M0137 | THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL REGOLITH ANALYZER (XTRA) WILL PROVIDE QUANTITATIVE MINERALOGY AND ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF AS-RECEIVED LUNAR SOIL. XTRA IS SUITABLE FOR A SMALL LUNAR LANDER OR ROVER BUT VARIANTS OF XTRA COULD BE USED BY ASTRONAUTS IN A LUNAR HABITAT AS WELL. THE WORK PROPOSED HERE BUILDS ON A NUMBER OF PREVIOUSLY FUNDED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AS WELL AS HERITAGE FROM FLIGHT HARDWARE. XTRA WILL BE AT TRL-4 ON ENTRY INTO THE DALI PROGRAM. THE PROPOSED DALI EFFORT INCLUDES A DETAILED TECHNICAL APPROACH AND WORK PLAN TO ADDRESS IDENTIFIED TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN RISKS TO FURTHER DEVELOP XTRA TO TRL-6 AT WHICH POINT IT WILL BE READY TO BE PROPOSED FOR A FLIGHT MISSION. | 2019-04-30 → 2022-04-29 | $232K |
| 80NSSC18K0230 | BACKGROUND: SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF THE VISIBLE AND NEAR-INFRARED CAN REVEAL THE MINERALOGY AND MINERAL CHEMISTRY (E.G. FE2+ PROPORTION) ON THE SURFACE OF A PLANETARY BODY. ON AIRLESS BODIES HOWEVER THE SURFACE EXPERIENCES VARIOUS PROCESSES SUCH AS BEING BOMBARDED WITH COSMIC RAY AND SOLAR WIND PARTICLES AND MICROMETEORITES. THESE PROCESSES ARE COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS SPACE WEATHERING. AS A RESULT THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL NATURE OF THE REGOLITH CHANGES WHICH 1) DESTROY THE PRISTINE SURFACE MATERIAL THAT HOLDS IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATED TO THE GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE PLANETARY BODY AND 2) OBSCURE THE IMPORTANT VISIBLE AND NEARINFRARED SPECTRAL FEATURES NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE MINERALOGY AND MINERAL CHEMISTRY OF A SURFACE FROM REMOTE DATA. A MAIN PRODUCT OF SPACE WEATHERING IS SUBMICROSCOPIC PARTICLES WHICH ARE CREATED DURING MELT/VAPOR DEPOSITION. THE PRESENCE OF THESE PARTICLES CAUSES THE REFLECTANCE OF THE VISIBLE AND NEAR-INFRARED TO DECREASE THE CONTINUUM TO BECOME REDDENED (E.G. MOON MERCURY) OR BLUER (CTYPE ASTEROIDS) AND SPECTRAL FEATURES TO BECOME MORE SUBDUED. BY USING THESE SPECTRAL CHARACTERISTICS SEVERAL WORKERS WERE ABLE TO PRODUCE SPACE WEATHERING MAPS OR SUBMICROSCOPIC PARTICLE MAPS FOR THE MOON AND MERCURY. THESE MAPS HAVE REVEALED THAT RELATIVE REFLECTANCE ALONE CANNOT BE USED TO FIND IMMATURE MATERIAL. FOR EXAMPLE ON MERCURY THE NANOPHASE IRON ABUNDANCE MAP CLEARLY SHOWS CRATER RAYS AS THEY ARE LOW IN NANOPHASE IRON DUE TO THE FRESHLY EJECTED MATERIAL LACK EXPOSURE TO SPACE WEATHERING. HOWEVER IN THE NANOPHASE AMORPHOUS CARBON MAPS ONLY A FEW OF THE FRESH CRATERS WERE LOW IN NANOPHASE CARBON MATERIAL ILLUSTRATING THAT USING BOTH NANOPHASE PARTICLE MAPS CAN INDICATE WHICH CRATER RAYS ARE THE FRESHEST. ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE OSIRIS-REX MISSION IS TO OBTAIN PRISTINE CARBONACEOUS REGOLITH SAMPLES BUT THIS CANNOT BE DONE WITHOUT SPACE WEATHERING MAPS. THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSED WORK IS TO PRODUCE A RADIATIVE TRANSFER-BASED SPACE WEATHERING MAP THAT PROVIDES RELATIVE ABUNDANCES OF NANOPHASE AND MICROPHASE PARTICLES. THESE MAPS WOULD THEN BE USED TO SUPPORT SITE SELECTION FOR SAMPLING. OBJECTIVES: THE PROPOSED WORK HAS TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES THE FIRST OBJECTIVE IS TO CALIBRATE THE RADIATIVE TRANSFER MODEL TO LABORATORY SPACE WEATHERED SPECTRA OF SEVERAL SUBMICROSCOPIC MINERALS SUCH AS SULFIDES MAGNETITE AND CARBON (AMORPHOUS AND GRAPHITE). THE SECOND OBJECTIVE IS TO USE THE OVIRS DATA AND USE THE HAPKE RADIATIVE TRANSFER MODEL TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCES OF SUBMICROSCOPIC PARTICLES AND IDENTIFY THE MOST IMMATURE REGIONS AND CRATERS ON BENNU. RELEVANCE: THE PROPOSED WORK IS TO PROVIDE A RELATIVE SPACE WEATHERING MAP USING RADIATIVE TRANSFER TO ASSIST IN FINDING THE MOST PRISTINE MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE. THIS WOULD ENHANCE PLANNED MISSION ACTIVITIES BY HELPING THE OSIRIS-REX PROJECT REACH BASELINE REQUIREMENT 12) SEARCH FOR AND CHARACTERIZE THE EFFECTS OF SPACE WEATHERING ON BENNU. | 2017-11-30 → 2021-11-30 | $224K |
| 80NSSC25K7725 | THE ROSES FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS ARE: EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-03-15 → 2029-09-29 | $156K |
| 80NSSC22K1424 | KA MALAMALAMA O KA MAHINA: BUILDING PATHWAYS FOR INDIGENOUS LUNAR SCIENCE IN HAWAI.I | 2022-07-15 → 2025-11-30 | $150K |
| 80NSSC21K1542 | THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WOULD SEEK TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PHOTOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF LUNAR MATERIALS IN THE NEAR-TO-MID-INFRARED WAVELENGTH REGION. | 2021-09-02 → 2025-09-01 | $135K |
| 80NSSC25K0078 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCYS EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-06-15 → 2028-06-14 | $127K |
| 80NSSC25PA621 | IN-SITU AND REMOTE CHARACTERIZATION OF LUNAR SURFACE USING SUCR SENSOR (UNIV OF HAWAII) | 2025-02-24 → 2027-02-23 | $126K |
| 80NSSC18K0540 | THE LUNAR ORBITING LASER ALTIMETER (LOLA) IS AN ON-GOING REMOTE SENSING EXPERIMENT CURRENTLY IN USE ON THE NASA LUNAR RECONNAISANCE ORBITER. DR. PAUL LUCEY WILL SUPPORT THIS PROJECT VIA THE FOLLOWING TASKS: 1) CONTINUE TO SUPPORT PRODUCTION OF DATA PRODUCTS RELATED TO LUNAR REFLECTANCE MEASUREMENTS CONDUCTED BY LOLA 2) SUPPORT SUBMISSION OF DATA PRODUCTS TO NASA INCLUDING THE PLANETARY DATA SYSTEM. 3) TRAVEL TO LOLA TEAM MEETINGS AS NEEDED. 4) CONTRIBUTE TO SCIENTIFIC PAPERS DESCRIBING THE RESULTS OF THE PROJECT. 5) CONTRIBUTE TO PROGRESS REPORTS AND OTHER REPORTS REQUIRED BY NASA | 2018-02-15 → ? | $125K |
| 80NSSC19K0917 | THE UNIQUE RESOURCE OF LOLA REFLECTANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT PROVIDE SOLAR-INDEPENDENT MEASUREMENTS OF THE ALBEDO OF THE MOON IS USED TO SUPPORT LRO EXTENDED MISSION 3 GOALS IN THE LUNAR POLAR REGIONS. THREE TASKS ARE PERFORMED: USING LOLA AND KAGUYA SPECTRAL PROFILER TO CREATE MAPS OF IRON (FEO) AND MAJOR SILICATE MINERALOGY; USING LOLA AND KAGUYA SPECTRAL PROFILER TO CREATE MAPS OF NANOPHASE AND MICROPHASE IRON THAT ARE INDICATORS OF SPACE WEATHERING; AND INTEGRATING M3 AND LOLA DATA TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT NANOPHASE IRON IS BEING CONSUMED BY MIGRATING LUNAR WATER AND CONVERTED TO HEMATITE (IRON OXIDE). | 2019-03-01 → ? | $120K |
| 80NSSC22K1354 | CO.INVESTIGATOR SUPPORT TO THE LUNAR ORBITER LASER ALTIMETER PROJECT | 2022-07-01 → 2025-06-30 | $115K |
| 80NSSC25K7656 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-01-24 → 2027-01-23 | $70K |
| 80NSSC25K7910 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-06-01 → 2027-05-31 | $70K |
| 80NSSC25K7132 | THE PROJECT WILL ANALYZE SPECTROSCOPIC DATA FROM THE STRATOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY FOR INFRARED ASTRONOMY THAT ARE USED TO MAKE MAPS OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE WATER MOLECULE ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON. THE DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOR OF WATER ON THE MOON IS VERY POORLY UNDERSTOOD THESE DATA ARE UNIQUELY SUITED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PROCESSES CONTROL THE DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOR. IN TWO TASKS WE WILLFOCUS ON HOW THE SOLAR WIND INFLUENCES WATER ABUNDANCE AND HOW TEMPERATURE AND LOCATION AFFECT WATER DISTRIBUTION. IN OVER 100 HOURS OF DATA COLLECTION SOFIA DATA WERE OBTAINED DURING THE FULL RANGE OF SOLAR WIND FLUX INTENSITY AND HAVE EXCELLENT COVERAGE OF LUNAR LOCATION AND SURFACE TEMPERATURE. THE RESULTS WILL BE COMPARED TO SEVERAL COMPETING MODELS THAT PREDICT THE BEHAVIOR OF WATER ON THE MOON. THE PROJECT ADDRESSES SEVERAL PSD GUIDING DOCUMENTS. IN PARTICULAR THE ADVANCING SCIENCE ON THE MOON SPECIAL ACTION TEAM REPORT INCLUDED: SCIENCE GOAL 8D. LEARN HOW WATER VAPOR AND OTHER VOLATILES ARE RELEASED FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE AND MIGRATE TO THE POLES WHERE THEY ARE ADSORBED IN POLAR COLD TRAPS. THIS PROJECT ADDRESS THE SOURCE OF EXOSPHERIC VOLATILES WHICH IS THE LUNAR SURFACE. THE REPORT ALSO URGES THE LUNAR SCIENCE COMMUNITY TO: "IDENTIFY THE SOURCES OF THE MID-LATITUDE SURFACE HYDROXYL AND WATER AND DETERMINE HOW THIS COMPONENT MIGRATES AND DETERMINE THE SOURCE(S) FOR LUNAR VOLATILES." | 2024-10-08 → 2026-10-07 | $60K |
| 80NSSC18K0542 | IN THE PAST DECADE OBSERVATIONS OF THE MOON BY SPACECRAFT AND THE INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF ANALYTICAL METHODS APPLIED TO LUNAR SAMPLES HAVE CREATED A NEW PARADIGM FOR THE ABUNDANCE OF WATER BOTH ON AND IN THE MOON. WHILE THE MOON WAS PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED TO BE COMPLETELY DRY IT IS NOW KNOWN THAT WATER IS PRESENT ON THE SURFACE AND IN MANY LUNAR SAMPLES AT THE LEVEL OF 100 PARTS PER MILLION OR GREATER. SPACECRAFT OBSERVATIONS ESTABLISHED THAT A 3 UM ABSORPTION FEATURE ATTRIBUTABLE TO WATER OR HYDROXYL WAS PRESENT ON THE SURFACE ESPECIALLY AT HIGH LATITUDES AND AWAY FROM THE SUBSOLAR POINT AT LOW LATITUDES. THE SPACECRAFT DATA REVEAL THAT THE 3 UM FEATURE VARIES IN STRENGTH AND SPECTRAL PROPERTIES WITH THE LUNAR TIME OF DAY AND THE LOCAL GEOLOGY OF THE MOON. LIMITATIONS OF EXISTING SPACECRAFT DATA LEAVE MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED. WHILE THE 3UM FEATURE VARIES WITH LUNAR TIME OF DAY ESPECIALLY AT MID TO HIGH LATITUDES CONTROVERSIES REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THERMAL EMISSION FROM THE SPECTRA LEAVE OPEN THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE ABUNDANCE OF WATER INDEED VARIES WITH TIME. THE THERMAL CORRECTIONS OF 3UM DATA THAT SUGGEST ABUNDANCE VARIATIONS IMPLY A LARGE DIURNAL SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE LUNAR ATMOSPHERE AND TO THE LUNAR COLD TRAPS. THIS SUPPLY IF QUANTIFIED AND ASSOCIATED WITH WELL UNDERSTOOD UNCERTAINTIES WOULD PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT CONSTRAINT ON THE NATURE OF THE LUNAR ATMOSPHERE AND THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE LUNAR POLAR COLD TRAPS WHERE ICE HAS BEEN REPORTED. OBSERVATIONS OF THE MOON AT HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION (~KM SCALE) HAS REVEALED VARIATIONS IN THE NATURE OF THE 3 UM BAND INDEPENDENT OF TEMPERATURE STRONGLY SUGGESTING A COMPOSITIONALLY DEPENDENT VARIATION IN THE TYPE OF WATER AND ITS ACCOMMODATION IN LUNAR MATERIALS. THE MARE AND HIGHLANDS SHOW DIFFERENT BAND STRENGTHS WHERE LUNAR VOLCANIC PYROCLASTIC DEPOSITS OFTEN SHOW 3 UM BAND DEPTHS GREATER THAN THE BACKGROUND SUGGESTING HIGHER WATER ABUNDANCES. SMALL LOCAL 3UM ANOMALIES THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH WATER OR HYDROXYL IN LUNAR IGNEOUS MINERALS ARE ALSO FOUND IN MANY PLACES. YET THE SPECTRAL DATA FOR ALL THESE LOCATIONS ARE CONFINED TO WAVELENGTHS LESS THAN 3 UM GREATLY LIMITING INSIGHTS INTO THE TYPES OF WATER OR MATERIALS THAT MIGHT BE PRESENT. GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS OF THE MOON CAN OVERCOME MANY OF THESE LIMITATIONS. IN THIS PROJECT WE PROPOSE USING THE SPEX LONG CROSS-DISPERSED INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH AT THE NASA INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY TO OBTAIN SPECTRA IN THE 3UM REGION. SPEX COVERS THE REGION OF CHARACTERISTIC WATER ABSORPTIONS OF SOLIDS AND IS COMMONLY USED IN ASTEROID SPECTROSCOPY. GROUND-BASED DATA CAN BE OBTAINED AT PHOTOMETRIC AND PHASE ANGLES MORE CONDUCIVE TO THE THERMAL CORRECTION OF REFLECTANCE DATA THAN SPACECRAFT DATA. DATA CAN ALSO BE COLLECTED AT 2 KM RESOLUTION ENABLING DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WATER ABSORPTION OF IDENTIFIED 3 UM ANOMALIES. THESE OBSERVATIONS WILL SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATION IN WATER ON THE MOON. THIS PROJECT IS RELEVANT TO SOLAR SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS BECAUSE IT COLLECTS AND ANALYZES NEW DATA FROM GROUNDBASED TELESCOPES. THE PROJECT IS RELEVANT TO NASA BECAUSE IT DIRECTLY ADDRESSES PROBLEMS CALLED OUT IN THE NASA DECADAL SURVEY INCLUDING: HOW ARE VOLATILE ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS DISTRIBUTED TRANSPORTED AND SEQUESTERED IN NEAR-SURFACE ENVIRONMENTS ON THE SURFACES OF THE MOON AND MERCURY? WHAT FRACTIONS OF VOLATILES WERE OUTGASSED FROM THOSE PLANETS INTERIORS AND WHAT FRACTIONS REPRESENT LATE METEORITIC AND COMETARY INFALL? WHAT ARE THE INVENTORIES AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF VOLATILE ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS (SPECIES ABUNDANCES AND ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS) IN THE MANTLES AND CRUSTS OF THE INNER PLANETS? | 2018-02-21 → ? | $0 |
| 80NSSC19K0566 | THE UNIQUE RESOURCE OF LOLA REFLECTANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT PROVIDE SOLAR-INDEPENDENT MEASUREMENTS OF THE ALBEDO OF THE MOON IS USED TO SUPPORT LRO EXTENDED MISSION 3 GOALS IN THE LUNAR POLAR REGIONS. THREE TASKS ARE PERFORMED: USING LOLA AND KAGUYA SPECTRAL PROFILER TO CREATE MAPS OF IRON (FEO) AND MAJOR SILICATE MINERALOGY; USING LOLA AND KAGUYA SPECTRAL PROFILER TO CREATE MAPS OF NANOPHASE AND MICROPHASE IRON THAT ARE INDICATORS OF SPACE WEATHERING; AND INTEGRATING M3 AND LOLA DATA TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT NANOPHASE IRON IS BEING CONSUMED BY MIGRATING LUNAR WATER AND CONVERTED TO HEMATITE (IRON OXIDE). | 2019-03-01 → ? | $0 |
| 80NSSC23K0890 | REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY AS A TOOL FOR IDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDING SURFACE ADSORBED WATER ON THE LUNAR SURFACE | 2023-04-14 → ? | $0 |