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Lunar prospector: a preliminary surface remote sensing resource assessment for the moon
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Mardon, A. A. |
| Copyright Year | 1992 |
| Description | The potential existence of lunar volatiles is a scientific discovery that could distinctly change the direction of pathways of inner solar system human expansion. With a dedicated germanium gamma ray spectrometer launched in the early 1990's, surface water concentrations of 0.7 percent could be detected immediately upon full lunar polar orbit operations. The expense of lunar base construction and operation would be dramatically reduced over a scenario with no lunar volatile resources. Global surface mineral distribution could be mapped out and integrated into a GIS database for lunar base site selection. Extensive surface lunar mapping would also result in the utilization of archived Apollo images. A variety of remote sensing systems and their parameters have been proposed for use in the detection of these lunar ice masses. The detection or nondetection of subsurface and surface ice masses in lunar polar crater floors could dramatically direct the development pathways that the human race might follow in its radiation from the Earth to habitable locales in the inner terran solar system. Potential sources of lunar volatiles are described. The use of remote sensing to detect lunar volatiles is addressed. |
| File Size | 388648 |
| Page Count | 3 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19930008067 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t7bs3q31d |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1992-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Lunar And Planetary Exploration Lunar Maps Gamma Ray Spectrometers Lunar Resources Lunar Composition Ice Mapping Surface Water Lunar Soil Minerals Lunar Surface Remote Sensing Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
