Automated astronaut traverses with minimum metabolic workload: Accessing permanently shadowed regions near the lunar south pole

• Published in: Acta Astronautica
• Main Authors: Peña-Asensio, E., Sutherland, Jennifer, Tripathi, Prateek, Mason, Kashauna, Goodwin, Arthur, Bickel, Valentin T., Kring, David A.
• Other Authors: European Commission, European Research Council
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2024
• Subjects: Artemis; Permanently shadowed regions; Lunar south pole; Astronaut; Lola; South Pole; The Landing; South pole
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/356943; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.10.010

The Artemis exploration zone is a topographically complex impact-cratered terrain. Steep undulating slopes pose a challenge for walking extravehicular activities (EVAs) anticipated for the Artemis III and subsequent missions. Using 5 m/pixel Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) measurements of the s...