Prior to heading to the Moon, Apollo astronauts trained on a number of sites on Earth that best approximated the lunar surface, like the volcanic areas of Iceland, Hawaii, and the US Southwest. In preparation for upcoming human and robotic Artemis missions, a newly enhanced “mini-moon” lunar testbed will allow robots and astronauts to test realistic conditions on the Moon, which includes rough terrain and unusual sunlight.
The Lunar Regolith and Lab Testbed at the Ames Research Center in California simulates conditions on the Moon in a high-fidelity atmosphere, enabling scientists to test hardware designs intended for the lunar surface. The lab is presently being used as a test environment for the next phases of the Artemis Program to conduct studies on optical sensing and tool assessment and to test for in-situ source utilization identification as well as extraction methods.
The center was initially built in 2009, but has now been expanded and upgraded to include a lunar lab with several testbeds with a variety of lunar regolith. These large indoor “sandboxes” could be configured and personalized to simulate various regions of the Moon. Moreover, a unique lighting system can replicate real lighting conditions on the Moon, such as the darkness of a lunar polar crater or the glaring rays of the Sun that Apollo astronauts had to deal with in the lunar mares.
Testbeds are not huge, but large enough to allow a range of conditions to be provided. The first initial sandbox measures about 13 feet by thirteen feet by 1.5 feet (four meters by 4 meters by 0.5 meter) and is filled with 8 tons of a lunar regolith simulant known as Johnson Space Center One Simmulant (JSC-1A), making this the biggest collection of the material in the world. The JSC-1A simulant resembles the mare basins of the Moon and is in color dark grey.
The brand new, bigger testbed measures sixty two feet by 13 feet by one foot (19 meters by four meters by 0.3 meter) and it is stuffed with over 20 tons of lunar highlands Simulant-1 (LHS-1), which is light grey to mimic the Lunar Highlands. This larger sandbox may be reconfigured to be a smaller but deeper testbed if required.
Things being tested are how different tools and rovers work in the extremely abrasive and sticky regolith. Moon dust might be as fine as powder, although it might also be sharp as glass shards. In addition, it can electrostatically hold onto something which is irritating.
The unique lighting device imitates the deep polar areas of the moon as well as the glaring, unfiltered light someplace on the moon.
‘Whenever rovers as well as astronauts perform missions in the lunar South Pole, they are going to have to navigate in very low angle lighting and conquer strong sun glare which makes it hard to see,” NASA said in a statement. Simply because Sunlight will never rise overhead, even the smallest rock or crater will cast long shadows as well as cover craters in darkness. ” And sometimes, Sunlight is going to blaze at eye level because it reflects off the soil. “
The new testbeds have been key in the successful tests of NASA’s new Moon Rover, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration rover (VIPER). The VIPER rover drivers are going to make use of a system of rover-mounted lights as well as cameras to stay away from boulders, descend steep declines into craters and avoid other potentially mission-ending dangers. The facilities at the Regolith Testbed allowed researchers create more than 12 different scenarios of craters as well as rock formations to improve the rover’s independent navigation system, so it is able to navigate safely through harsh conditions and unknown terrain.
