Workshop Overview:
This study will develop innovative, low-cost mission concepts for detecting and mapping polar ice deposits on the Moon. We will bring together experts in diverse fields of lunar science, technology and exploration to assess the current state of knowledge and identify the key measurements required to fundamentally advance understanding of the distribution and abundance of lunar ices. These measurement goals will be developed into an array of mission concepts, with an emphasis on low cost, focused architectures with high likelihood of realization.
At the second workshop, we will synthesize results of sub-team studies on specific innovative mission concepts and technologies, in order to select 2-3 mission or instrument concepts for further development. Preliminary cost estimates will be assessed through Team-X (or similar) studies, and concepts will be classified according to science return and cost category. Ultimately, the goal is to identify key technology gaps where further development could enable identification of lunar ice deposits at small (~100 m) spatial scales suitable for future extraction, sample analysis, and in-situ resource utilization. The study participants are also actively pursuing a comprehensive survey of the lunar volatiles literature, which will be detailed in the final report.
