Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge
The lunar polar regions are key areas for future exploration due to the long-term continuous illumination and persistently shadowed regions that can cold trap abundant water and other volatiles. However, the complex terrain, dynamic lighting, and solar wind-induced electric-field environment present...
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ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/2226-4310/10/7/598/ 2023-08-20T04:09:52+02:00 Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge Hong Gan Chengxuan Zhao Guangfei Wei Xiongyao Li Guojun Xia Xiao Zhang Jingjing Shi 2023-06-30 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10070598 EN eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Astronautics & Space Science https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10070598 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Aerospace; Volume 10; Issue 7; Pages: 598 lunar south pole illumination condition electric-field environment Chang’E-7 lunar rover Text 2023 ftmdpi https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10070598 2023-08-01T10:41:28Z The lunar polar regions are key areas for future exploration due to the long-term continuous illumination and persistently shadowed regions that can cold trap abundant water and other volatiles. However, the complex terrain, dynamic lighting, and solar wind-induced electric-field environment present multiple challenges for polar investigation and sampling missions. China’s Chang’E-7 (CE-7) will explore the Moon’s south polar region in 2026. One of the scientific goals is to drill samples in a wide area with a rover for in situ analysis. This study analyzes the engineering constraints of the polar illumination condition, slopes, and electric field for landing and sampling-site selection. Then, we create a 3D model of CE-7’s lunar rover in three operating environments by employing the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software, with the rover sampling (i) on a flat surface, (ii) in a shadow, and (iii) near a meter-scale crater under different solar altitude angles. The results show that the rover can be charged to different potentials under the combined effects of solar wind incident angles and surrounding terrains. We find that a favorable traversing and/or sampling site of the rover for future polar exploration is in the upwind direction of a bulge (positively elevated terrains, such as the lander or boulders) or crater, which will cause a minimum charging effect on the rover. Our results have important implications for minimizing the risk of charging effects and guiding the lunar polar region exploration. Text South pole MDPI Open Access Publishing South Pole Aerospace 10 7 598 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
MDPI Open Access Publishing |
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ftmdpi |
language |
English |
topic |
lunar south pole illumination condition electric-field environment Chang’E-7 lunar rover |
spellingShingle |
lunar south pole illumination condition electric-field environment Chang’E-7 lunar rover Hong Gan Chengxuan Zhao Guangfei Wei Xiongyao Li Guojun Xia Xiao Zhang Jingjing Shi Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge |
topic_facet |
lunar south pole illumination condition electric-field environment Chang’E-7 lunar rover |
description |
The lunar polar regions are key areas for future exploration due to the long-term continuous illumination and persistently shadowed regions that can cold trap abundant water and other volatiles. However, the complex terrain, dynamic lighting, and solar wind-induced electric-field environment present multiple challenges for polar investigation and sampling missions. China’s Chang’E-7 (CE-7) will explore the Moon’s south polar region in 2026. One of the scientific goals is to drill samples in a wide area with a rover for in situ analysis. This study analyzes the engineering constraints of the polar illumination condition, slopes, and electric field for landing and sampling-site selection. Then, we create a 3D model of CE-7’s lunar rover in three operating environments by employing the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software, with the rover sampling (i) on a flat surface, (ii) in a shadow, and (iii) near a meter-scale crater under different solar altitude angles. The results show that the rover can be charged to different potentials under the combined effects of solar wind incident angles and surrounding terrains. We find that a favorable traversing and/or sampling site of the rover for future polar exploration is in the upwind direction of a bulge (positively elevated terrains, such as the lander or boulders) or crater, which will cause a minimum charging effect on the rover. Our results have important implications for minimizing the risk of charging effects and guiding the lunar polar region exploration. |
format |
Text |
author |
Hong Gan Chengxuan Zhao Guangfei Wei Xiongyao Li Guojun Xia Xiao Zhang Jingjing Shi |
author_facet |
Hong Gan Chengxuan Zhao Guangfei Wei Xiongyao Li Guojun Xia Xiao Zhang Jingjing Shi |
author_sort |
Hong Gan |
title |
Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge |
title_short |
Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge |
title_full |
Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge |
title_fullStr |
Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge |
title_full_unstemmed |
Numerical Simulation of the Lunar Polar Environment: Implications for Rover Exploration Challenge |
title_sort |
numerical simulation of the lunar polar environment: implications for rover exploration challenge |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10070598 |
geographic |
South Pole |
geographic_facet |
South Pole |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_source |
Aerospace; Volume 10; Issue 7; Pages: 598 |
op_relation |
Astronautics & Space Science https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10070598 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10070598 |
container_title |
Aerospace |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
598 |
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1774723609767444480 |