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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2014/42517
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| Title: | A lunar L2-Farside exploration and science mission concept with the ORion multi-purpose crew vehicle and a teleoperated lander/rover |
| Authors: | Burns, Jack O.
Kring, David
Norris, Scott
Hopkins, Josh
Lazio, Joseph
Kasper, Justin |
| Keywords: | human mission
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV)
Moon’s farside
life support systems |
| Issue Date: | 21-May-2012 |
| Publisher: | Pasadena, CA : Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2012. |
| Citation: | AIAA Global Space Exploration Conference, Washington, D. C., May 22, 2012 |
| Abstract: | A novel concept is presented in this paper for a human mission to the lunar L2 (Lagrange) point that would be a proving ground for future exploration missions to deep space while also overseeing scientifically important investigations. In an L2 halo orbit above the lunar farside, the astronauts would travel 15% farther from Earth than did the Apollo astronauts and spend almost three times longer in deep space. Such missions would validate the Orion MPCV’s life support systems, would demonstrate the high-speed re-entry capability needed for return from deep space, and would measure astronauts’ radiation dose from cosmic rays and solar flares to verify that Orion would provide sufficient protection, as it is designed to do. On this proposed mission, the astronauts would teleoperate landers and rovers on the unexplored lunar farside, which would obtain samples from the geologically interesting farside and deploy a low radio frequency telescope. Sampling the South Pole-Aitkin basin (one of the oldest impact basins in the solar system) is a key science objective of the 2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Observations of the Universe’s first stars/galaxies at low radio frequencies are a priority of the 2010 Astronomy & Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Such telerobotic oversight would also demonstrate capability for human and robotic cooperation on future, more complex deep space missions. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2014/42517 |
| Appears in Collections: | JPL TRS 1992+
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