Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles
Abstract Many large cold traps exist at both lunar poles where temperatures never exceed 110 K annually, allowing the preservation of water ice. Much has been learned about these regions from orbital measurements, but in situ access is needed to truly understand the abundance, distribution, texture,...
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2020
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:73f3f5884a114097a24e8e9d806144ab 2023-05-15T18:22:39+02:00 Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles Kevin M. Cannon Daniel T. Britt 2020-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001291 https://doaj.org/article/73f3f5884a114097a24e8e9d806144ab EN eng American Geophysical Union (AGU) https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001291 https://doaj.org/toc/2333-5084 2333-5084 doi:10.1029/2020EA001291 https://doaj.org/article/73f3f5884a114097a24e8e9d806144ab Earth and Space Science, Vol 7, Iss 10, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) Moon volatiles space resources rover trafficability Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001291 2022-12-30T23:18:57Z Abstract Many large cold traps exist at both lunar poles where temperatures never exceed 110 K annually, allowing the preservation of water ice. Much has been learned about these regions from orbital measurements, but in situ access is needed to truly understand the abundance, distribution, texture, and chemistry of volatiles that might be present in the regolith. We systematically studied the accessibility of the larger cold traps to wheeled vehicles from nearby staging areas. We calculated minimum energy routes for 20 north pole cold traps and 39 south pole cold traps >50 km2 in area. At each, accessibility metrics were determined for paths into and out of the cold trap and for round trip paths that return to the same location. We found that 55 of the 59 cold traps are readily accessible without exceeding 25° slopes. Smaller cold traps are generally more accessible than larger ones, with certain exceptions. The accessibility data set is presented graphically, in tabular form, and as ArcGIS shapefiles, all of which can be used to inform site selection and mission planning for future scientific and resource‐focused activities. Article in Journal/Newspaper South pole Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles South Pole North Pole Earth and Space Science 7 10 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Moon volatiles space resources rover trafficability Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Moon volatiles space resources rover trafficability Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 Kevin M. Cannon Daniel T. Britt Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles |
topic_facet |
Moon volatiles space resources rover trafficability Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Abstract Many large cold traps exist at both lunar poles where temperatures never exceed 110 K annually, allowing the preservation of water ice. Much has been learned about these regions from orbital measurements, but in situ access is needed to truly understand the abundance, distribution, texture, and chemistry of volatiles that might be present in the regolith. We systematically studied the accessibility of the larger cold traps to wheeled vehicles from nearby staging areas. We calculated minimum energy routes for 20 north pole cold traps and 39 south pole cold traps >50 km2 in area. At each, accessibility metrics were determined for paths into and out of the cold trap and for round trip paths that return to the same location. We found that 55 of the 59 cold traps are readily accessible without exceeding 25° slopes. Smaller cold traps are generally more accessible than larger ones, with certain exceptions. The accessibility data set is presented graphically, in tabular form, and as ArcGIS shapefiles, all of which can be used to inform site selection and mission planning for future scientific and resource‐focused activities. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kevin M. Cannon Daniel T. Britt |
author_facet |
Kevin M. Cannon Daniel T. Britt |
author_sort |
Kevin M. Cannon |
title |
Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles |
title_short |
Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles |
title_full |
Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles |
title_fullStr |
Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles |
title_full_unstemmed |
Accessibility Data Set for Large Permanent Cold Traps at the Lunar Poles |
title_sort |
accessibility data set for large permanent cold traps at the lunar poles |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001291 https://doaj.org/article/73f3f5884a114097a24e8e9d806144ab |
geographic |
South Pole North Pole |
geographic_facet |
South Pole North Pole |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_source |
Earth and Space Science, Vol 7, Iss 10, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001291 https://doaj.org/toc/2333-5084 2333-5084 doi:10.1029/2020EA001291 https://doaj.org/article/73f3f5884a114097a24e8e9d806144ab |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001291 |
container_title |
Earth and Space Science |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
10 |
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1766202063607300096 |