80NSSC19M0216

The Moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), and the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos are all SSERVI target bodies as they present a wide variety of natural wonders and are potential hosts to resources that will one day enable human exploration of the solar system.

Our research program, Geophysical Exploration of the Dynamics and Evolution of the Solar System (GEODES), will explore a suite of natural resources on these bodies through multidisciplinary geophysical investigations. Geophysical methods have been incredibly successful in identifying resources on Earth as they provide a means of characterizing and mapping the sub-surface using data gathered on and above the surface.

We focus our geophysical investigations on four essential resources that will enable future human space exploration:

1. Lava tubes and void spaces capable of hosting people and infrastructure.
2. Icy deposits that can be used for volatile extraction.
3. Regolith, which may be a building material but also presents a hazard to human and robotic health.
4. Geologically recent volcanism, tectonism, and impacts, which mobilize, concentrate, and trap volatiles and unique rock chemistries.

The unifying goal of GEODES is to enable in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) of these solar system bodies for these natural resources. The reason geophysical methods have been so successful in identifying resources on Earth is that these methods provide a means of characterizing and mapping the sub-surface using data gathered on and above the surface. Our broad team has expertise in orbital geophysics and field geophysical techniques that will be required for future space exploration.

Currently, there are gaps in our understanding of how most effectively to use these geophysical methods for site evaluation on SSERVI target bodies, including the Moon, NEAs, and the moons of Mars. Which geophysical methods are most effective for characterization of specific resource targets, and what are the resolutions of these methods? How can we efficiently reduce uncertainties in resource exploration and ISRU through application of diverse geophysical methods in integrated exploration surveys? For each resource theme, which surveys should be done as part of site evaluation and characterization, and in what order? What modeling approaches will make the best use of these extremely valuable and costly geophysical data to maximize information gain?

Our investigations will approach each resource theme from "orbit to outcrop" by analyzing existing geophysical data and models for SSERVI target bodies and through geophysical exploration of field analog sites on Earth where similar resources are found. Analog sites on Earth will be used by the GEODES team to develop, for each theme, (a) exploration strategies, (b) methods of integrating multiple geophysical methods, and (c) modeling capability to efficiently characterize resources.

The time is right for the GEODES project because we are well-positioned to take advantage of rapid improvements in automated geophysical data collection, leading to vastly improved resolution of geophysical anomalies and much more efficient geophysical modeling capability than previously available.

GEODES will be dedicated to supporting and expanding the goals and resources of SSERVI as a virtual institute. GEODES will conduct in-person and virtual workshops to train the next generation of researchers in geophysical data processing, data analysis, and modeling using computer codes developed by the Earth geophysics community. GEODES will engage the public through an active online presence, public geophysics demonstrations, and development of science activation resources. GEODES will partner with existing SSERVI teams that also investigate one or more of the natural resources from different science perspectives to enhance our ability to forge methods to enable future space exploration at the Moon, NEAs, and the moons of Mars.

College Park University Of Maryland

THE MOON NEAR EARTH ASTEROIDS (NEAS) AND THE MARTIAN MOONS PHOBOS AND DEIMOS ARE ALL SSERVI TARGET BODIES AS THEY PRESENT A WIDE VARIETY OF NATURAL WONDERS AND ARE POTENTIAL HOSTS TO RESOURCES THAT WILL ONE DAY ENABLE HUMAN EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF THE DYNAMICS AND EVOLUTION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM (GEODES) WILL EXPLORE A SUITE OF NATURALRESOURCES ON THESE BODIES THROUGH MULTIDISCIPLINARY GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATIONS. GEOPHYSICAL METHODS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFULIN IDENTIFYING RESOURCES ON EARTH AS THEY PROVIDE A MEANS OF CHARACTERIZING AND MAPPING THE SUB-SURFACE USING DATA GATHERED ON ANDABOVE THE SURFACE. WE FOCUS OUR GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON FOUR ESSENTIAL RESOURCES THAT WILL ENABLE FUTURE HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION: ..1. LAVA TUBES AND VOID SPACES CAPABLE OF HOSTING PEOPLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE .2. ICY DEPOSITS THAT CAN BE USED FOR VOLATILE EXTRACTION .3. REGOLITH WHICH MAY BE A BUILDING MATERIAL BUT ALSO PRESENTS A HAZARD TO HUMAN AND ROBOTIC HEALTH .4. GEOLOGICALLY RECENT VOLCANISM TECTONISM AND IMPACTS WHICH MOBILIZE CONCENTRATE AND TRAP VOLATILES AND UNIQUE ROCK CHEMISTRIES. ..THE UNIFYING GOAL OF GEODES IS TO ENABLE IN-SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ISRU) OF THESE SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES FOR THESE NATURAL RESOURCES. THE REASONGEOPHYSICAL METHODS HAVE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL IN IDENTIFYING RESOURCES ON EARTH IS THAT THESE METHODS PROVIDE A MEANS OF CHARACTERIZING AND MAPPING THE SUB-SURFACE USING DATA GATHERED ON AND ABOVE THE SURFACE. OUR BROAD TEAM HAS EXPERTISE IN ORBITAL GEOPHYSICS ANDFIELD GEOPHYSICAL TECHNIQUES THAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION. ..CURRENTLY THERE ARE GAPS IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OFHOW MOST EFFECTIVELY TO USE THESE GEOPHYSICAL METHODS FOR SITE EVALUATION ON SSERVI TARGET BODIES INCLUDING THE MOON NEAR EARTH ASTEROIDS (NEAS) AND THE MOONS OF MARS. WHICH GEOPHYSICAL METHODS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF SPECIFIC RESOURCE TARGETS AND WHAT ARE THE RESOLUTIONS OF THESE METHODS? HOW CAN WE EFFICIENTLY REDUCE UNCERTAINTIES IN RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND ISRU THROUGH APPLICATION OF DIVERSE GEOPHYSICAL METHODS IN INTEGRATED EXPLORATION SURVEYS? FOR EACH RESOURCE THEME WHICH SURVEYS SHOULD BE DONE AS PART OF SITE EVALUATION AND CHARACTERIZATION AND IN WHAT ORDER? WHAT MODELING APPROACHES WILL MAKE THE BEST USE OF THESE EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND COSTLY GEOPHYSICAL DATA TO MAXIMIZE INFORMATION GAIN? OUR INVESTIGATIONS WILL APPROACH EACH RESOURCE-THEME FROM"ORBIT TO OUTCROP" BY ANALYZING EXISTING GEOPHYSICAL DATA AND MODELS FOR SSERVI TARGET BODIES AND THROUGH GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF FIELD ANALOG SITES ON EARTH WHERE SIMILAR RESOURCES ARE FOUND. ANALOG SITES ON EARTH WILL BE USED BY THE GEODES TEAM TO DEVELOP FOR EACH THEME (A) EXPLORATION STRATEGIES (B) METHODS OF INTEGRATING MULTIPLE GEOPHYSICAL METHODS AND (C) MODELING CAPABILITY TO EFFICIENTLY CHARACTERIZE RESOURCES. THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR THE GEODES PROJECT BECAUSE WE ARE WELL-POSITIONED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RAPIDIMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATED GEOPHYSICAL DATA COLLECTION LEADING TO VASTLY IMPROVED RESOLUTION OF GEOPHYSICAL ANOMALIES AND MUCH MORE EFFICIENT GEOPHYSICAL MODELING CAPABILITY THAN PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE. ..GEODES WILL BE DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING AND EXPANDING THE GOALS AND RESOURCES OF SSERVI AS A VIRTUAL INSTITUTE. GEODES WILL CONDUCT IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATIONOF RESEARCHERS IN GEOPHYSICAL DATA PROCESSING DATA ANALYSIS AND MODELING USING COMPUTER CODES DEVELOPED BY THE EARTH GEOPHYSICS COMMUNITY. GEODES WILL ENGAGE THE PUBLIC THROUGH AN ACTIVE ONLINE PRESENCE PUBLIC GEOPHYSICS DEMONSTRATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE ACTIVATION RESOURCES. GEODES WILL PARTNER WITH EXISTING SSERVI TEAMS THAT ALSO INVESTIGATE ONE OR MORE OF THE NATURAL RESOURCESFROM DIFFERENT SCIENCE PERSPECTIVES TO ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO FORGE METHODS TO ENABLE FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION AT THE MOON NEAS AND THE MOONS OF MARS. .

43.001 - Science

Shared Services Center (NSSC) [NASA]

College Park, Maryland 20742-1001 United States

Single Zip Code

NOT APPLICABLE

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 09/30/24 to 10/14/26 and the total obligations have increased 439% from $1,209,831 to $6,517,188.