80ARC017M0005

Multiple year award with incremental funding for years one to five. This proposal is entitled "TREX: Toolbox for Research and Exploration." This is awarded in response to Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) No. NNH16ZDA009C NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) Cycle Three. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Amanda R. Hendrix with Planetary Science Institute (PSI).

Project Summary: The overarching goal of the TREX team is develop tools and research methods for exploration of airless surfaces that are coated in fine-grained dust to prepare for human missions. Our team will using laboratory spectral measurements and experiments accompanied by studies of existing data from the Moon and small bodies to understand their surface characteristics and to investigate in situ resource utilization (ISRU) potential on small-body targets. Additionally, our team will develop instrumentation (especially ultra-violet (UV)/visible capabilities) and software for future use at those bodies (either remotely and/or with humans). These tools will improve mission success by decreasing risk and assuring the safety of astronauts and spacecraft.

The TREX tasks complement those of current SSERVI teams by emphasizing analyses of the finest fraction of grains and UV wavelengths. TREX has 4 themes that will be addressed through the life time of the award. They are:

1) Development of non-ambient (vacuum multi-temperature) broad wavelength spectral database of planetary materials. We will utilize a range of facilities to make the spectral measurements with unique and overlapping capabilities in order to derive a robust set of cross-calibrated lab data.

2) Investigations of fine-grained materials on the lunar surface. Lab data from theme one will be used along with spacecraft data of the Moon and modeling techniques to characterize lunar grain size, mineralogy, and correlations with geologic features with an overall goal of investigating ISRU potential and future instrument development needs.

3) Investigations of fine-grained materials on the surfaces of small bodies. Near Earth Objects (NEO) and the Martian moons are potential future human destinations and evoke a number of critical questions regarding the diversity of their compositions and dynamical histories.

4) Decision-making in a fine-grained analog environment. We will develop both software and instrumentation for use in the field as a testing ground for future robotic planetary uses.

The tasks accomplished by the TREX team will enable NASA's exploration of the Moon, NEO, and the moons of Mars by acquiring the information and knowledge that will serve as tools for future human and robotic exploration. TREX has assembled an international team of experts to address these four themes, leveraging a number of members of the existing distributed PSI staff structure and their extensive knowledge of the Moon, small bodies, data analysis, and instrument techniques, and by incorporating students, post-doctoral researchers, and key partners at other institutions.

Planetary Science Institute

MULTIPLE YEAR AWARD WITH INCREMENTAL FUNDING FOR YEARS ONE TO FIVE. THIS PROPOSAL IS ENTITLED "TREX: TOOLBOX FOR RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION." THIS IS AWARDED IN RESPONSE TO COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT NOTICE (CAN) NO. NNH16ZDA009C NASA SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION RESEARCH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE (SSERVI) CYCLE THREE (3). THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR IS DR. AMANDA R. HENDRIX WITH PLANETARY SCIENCE INSTITUTE(PSI). PROJECT SUMMARY: THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THE TREX TEAM IS DEVELOP TOOLS AND RESEARCH METHODS FOR EXPLORATION OF AIRLESSSURFACES THAT ARE COATED IN FINE-GRAINED DUST TO PREPARE FOR HUMAN MISSIONS. OUR TEAM WILL USING LABORATORY SPECTRAL MEASUREMENTSAND EXPERIMENTS ACCOMPANIED BY STUDIES OF EXISTING DATA FROM THE MOON AND SMALL BODIES TO UNDERSTAND THEIR SURFACE CHARACTERISTICSAND TO INVESTIGATE IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ISRU) POTENTIAL ON SMALL-BODY TARGETS. ADDITIONALLY OUR TEAM WILL DEVELOP INSTRUMENTATION (ESPECIALLY ULTRA-VIOLET (UV)-VISIBLE CAPABILITIES) AND SOFTWARE FOR FUTURE USE AT THOSE BODIES (EITHER REMOTELY AND/OR WITH HUMANS). THESE TOOLS WILL IMPROVE MISSION SUCCESS BY DECREASING RISK AND ASSURING THE SAFETY OF ASTRONAUTS AND SPACECRAFT. THETREX TASKS COMPLEMENT THOSE OF CURRENT SSERVI TEAMS BY EMPHASIZING ANALYSES OF THE FINEST FRACTION OF GRAINS AND UV WAVELENGTHS. TREX HAS 4 THEMES THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE LIFE TIME OF THE AWARD. THEY ARE: 1) DEVELOPMENT OF NON-AMBIENT (VACUUM MULTI-TEMPERATURE) BROAD WAVELENGTH SPECTRAL DATABASE OF PLANETARY MATERIALS. WE WILL UTILIZE A RANGE OF FACILITIES TO MAKE THE SPECTRALMEASUREMENTS WITH UNIQUE AND OVERLAPPING CAPABILITIES IN ORDER TO DERIVE A ROBUST SET OF CROSS-CALIBRATED LAB DATA. 2) INVESTIGATIONS OF FINE-GRAINED MATERIALS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE. LAB DATA FROM THEME ONE WILL BE USED ALONG WITH SPACECRAFT DATA OF THE MOON AND MODELING TECHNIQUES TO CHARACTERIZE LUNAR GRAIN SIZE MINERALOGY AND CORRELATIONS WITH GEOLOGIC FEATURES WITH AN OVERALL GOAL OFINVESTIGATION ISRU POTENTIAL AND FUTURE INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT NEEDS. 3) INVESTIGATIONS OF FINE GRAINED MATERIALS ON THE SURFACESOF SMALL BODIES. NEAR EARTH OBJECTS (NEO) AND THE MARTIAN MOONS ARE POTENTIAL FUTURE HUMAN DESTINATIONS AND EVOKE A NUMBER OF CRITICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE DIVERSITY OF THEIR COMPOSITIONS AND DYNAMICAL HISTORIES. AND 4) DECISION-MAKING IN A FINE-GRAINED ANALOG ENVIRONMENT. WE WILL DEVELOP BOTH SOFTWARE AND INSTRUMENTATION FOR SUE IN THE FIELD AS A TESTING GROUND FOR FUTURE ROBOTIC PLANETARY USES. THE TASKS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE TREX TEAM WILL ENABLE NASA'' EXPLORATION OF THE MOON NEO AND THE MOONS OF THE MARS BY ACQUIRING THE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL SERVE AS TOOLS FOR FUTURE HUMAN AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION. TREX HAS ASSEMBLED AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF EXPERTS TO ADDRESS THESE FOUR THEMES LEVERAGING A NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE EXISTING DISTRIBUTED PSI STAFF STRUCTURE AND THEIR EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOON SMALL BODIES DATA ANALYSIS AND INSTRUMENT TECHNIQUES AND BY INCORPORATING STUDENTS POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS AND KEY PARTNERS AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS.

43.001 - Science

Ames Research Center (ARC) [NASA]

Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395 United States

Single Zip Code

0

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 05/31/22 to 12/31/25 and the total obligations have increased 1604% from $321,817 to $5,485,341.