Contract Detail

WE PROPOSE TO CONDUCT A FLIGHT TEST OF THE JANUS-PIMS PAYLOAD ON A BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD LAUNCH VEHICLE TO RAISE ITS TRL FOR FUTURE LUNAR MISSIONS. THIS PAYLOAD COMBINES TWO INSTRUMENTS TO DEVELOP A LOW COST RELIABLE METHOD OF CHARACTERIZING LOCAL LUNAR SURFACE RADIATION AND MAGNETIC FIELD ENVIRONMENTS ON ROVERS AND LANDERS. SUCH A CAPABILITY IS VITAL BECAUSE LUNAR SURFACE MAGNETIC FIELDS VARY SIGNIFICANTLY AND DIRECTLY IMPACT THE RADIATION EXPOSURE AT EACH PARTICULAR LANDING SITE (WHICH CAN BE EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO HUMANS AND EQUIPMENT). HOWEVER LITTLE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE EXIST AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT THE ACTUAL ENVIRONMENT. SO OUR PROPOSED PAYLOAD IS REQUIRED TO UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS OF EACH SPECIFIC LANDING SITE. COORDINATED RADIATION AND MAGNETIC FIELD MEASUREMENTS WILL PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT INSIGHT INTO HOW CRUSTAL MAGNETIC FIELDS IMPACT THE LOCAL RADIATION ENVIRONMENT. AS AN ADDITIONAL BENEFIT OF THIS FLIGHT TEST THE JANUS-PIMS WILL BE USED AS THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO MEASURE CHARGED PARTICLES AT SUBORBITAL ALTITUDES FROM A COMMERCIAL SPACECRAFT WHICH WILL VERIFY THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING ROUTINE OBSERVATIONS ESSENTIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING EARTH S ATMOSPHERE AT SUCH ALTITUDES. TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION: APL IS ITERATIVELY APPLYING COMMERCIAL SRLVS TO REDUCE INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT COST SCHEDULE AND RISK. A KEY ELEMENT OF OUR PROGRAM IS ESTABLISHING A COMMON SPACECRAFT INTEGRATION PLATFORM (JANUS) THAT ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR DEVELOPING COMPLETE AND INDEPENDENT PAYLOADS FOR EVERY MISSION. OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS WE HAVE EVOLVED THE JANUS DESIGN THROUGH 6 SUCCESSFUL TEST FLIGHTS. FOR THIS PROPOSAL WE WILL INTEGRATE JANUS WITH OUR PLASMA INSTRUMENT FOR MAGNETIC SOUNDING (PIMS) INSTRUMENT (UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR THE EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION BUT ADAPTED FOR THE LUNAR ENVIRONMENT) TO MEASURE LOWER ENERGY (<100 EV) CHARGED PARTICLES. THE PROPOSED FLIGHT TEST WILL ADVANCE THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR LUNAR (AND BEYOND) APPLICATIONS. AFTER SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT TEST OF THE PROPOSED JANUS-PIMS WE CAN COMBINE THIS PAYLOAD WITH OUR (HIGHER ENERGY) RADIATION MONITORING SYSTEM (ERM) WHICH IS A MATURE SENSOR WITH FLIGHT HERITAGE ON NASA S VAN ALLEN PROBE MISSION (AND ALSO SELECTED FOR THE EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION). WE REQUIRE THE PIMS INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE LOWER ENERGY PARTICLES SO WE CAN CHARACTERIZE THE ENTIRE RADIATION SPECTRUM. THIS COMBINED SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE A COMPLETE LUNAR RADIATION HAZARD AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM THAT IS SELF-CONTAINED FLEXIBLE AND LOW COST. OUR PAYLOAD WILL NOT ONLY CHARACTERIZE THE LUNAR SURFACE ENVIRONMENT BUT ALSO EASILY ACCOMMODATE OTHER INSTRUMENT PAYLOADS AND DEVELOPMENT/ TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS ON ANY LUNAR MISSION. ALIGNMENT AND JUSTIFICATION OF SCOPE: THE PROPOSED WORK FALLS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT UTILIZING SUBORBITAL FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE A SPACE EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGY IN A RELEVANT SPACE-LIKE ENVIRONMENT USING A CURRENTLY AVAILABLE U.S. COMMERCIAL SUBORBITAL ROCKET. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ALIGNS WITH TOPIC 1 (SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE LUNAR EXPLORATION AND THE EXPANSION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY INTO CISLUNAR SPACE) AS OUR PAYLOAD WILL FURTHER NASA LUNAR EXPLORATION GOALS BECAUSE ACCURATE CHARACTERIZATION AND MONITORING OF THE LUNAR SURFACE RADIATION AND AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT AT EACH INDIVIDUAL LOCATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ROBOTIC AND HUMAN SURFACE OPERATIONS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE (SUCH AN APPLICATION IS ALSO RELEVANT BEYOND EARTH S ORBIT). OUR PROPOSAL NOT ONLY MEETS THESE EXPLICITLY STATED PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS BUT ALSO ADDRESS TWO OF NASA S LUNAR STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE GAPS: (THEME 2) UNDERSTAND THE LUNAR ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON HUMAN LIFE AND (THEME 3) UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK AND LIVE ON THE LUNAR SURFACE) WITH EMPHASIS ON DETERMINING NEAR SURFACE RADIATION/PLASMA ENVIRONMENTS AND THE NATURE OF DIFFERENTIAL ELECTRICAL CHARGING.

WE PROPOSE TO CONDUCT A FLIGHT TEST OF THE JANUS-PIMS PAYLOAD ON A BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD LAUNCH VEHICLE TO RAISE ITS TRL FOR FUTURE LUNAR MISSIONS. THIS PAYLOAD COMBINES TWO INSTRUMENTS TO DEVELOP A LOW COST RELIABLE METHOD OF CHARACTERIZING LOCAL LUNAR SURFACE RADIATION AND MAGNETIC FIELD ENVIRONMENTS ON ROVERS AND LANDERS. SUCH A CAPABILITY IS VITAL BECAUSE LUNAR SURFACE MAGNETIC FIELDS VARY SIGNIFICANTLY AND DIRECTLY IMPACT THE RADIATION EXPOSURE AT EACH PARTICULAR LANDING SITE (WHICH CAN BE EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO HUMANS AND EQUIPMENT). HOWEVER LITTLE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE EXIST AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT THE ACTUAL ENVIRONMENT. SO OUR PROPOSED PAYLOAD IS REQUIRED TO UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS OF EACH SPECIFIC LANDING SITE. COORDINATED RADIATION AND MAGNETIC FIELD MEASUREMENTS WILL PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT INSIGHT INTO HOW CRUSTAL MAGNETIC FIELDS IMPACT THE LOCAL RADIATION ENVIRONMENT. AS AN ADDITIONAL BENEFIT OF THIS FLIGHT TEST THE JANUS-PIMS WILL BE USED AS THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO MEASURE CHARGED PARTICLES AT SUBORBITAL ALTITUDES FROM A COMMERCIAL SPACECRAFT WHICH WILL VERIFY THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING ROUTINE OBSERVATIONS ESSENTIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING EARTH S ATMOSPHERE AT SUCH ALTITUDES. TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION: APL IS ITERATIVELY APPLYING COMMERCIAL SRLVS TO REDUCE INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT COST SCHEDULE AND RISK. A KEY ELEMENT OF OUR PROGRAM IS ESTABLISHING A COMMON SPACECRAFT INTEGRATION PLATFORM (JANUS) THAT ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR DEVELOPING COMPLETE AND INDEPENDENT PAYLOADS FOR EVERY MISSION. OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS WE HAVE EVOLVED THE JANUS DESIGN THROUGH 6 SUCCESSFUL TEST FLIGHTS. FOR THIS PROPOSAL WE WILL INTEGRATE JANUS WITH OUR PLASMA INSTRUMENT FOR MAGNETIC SOUNDING (PIMS) INSTRUMENT (UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR THE EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION BUT ADAPTED FOR THE LUNAR ENVIRONMENT) TO MEASURE LOWER ENERGY (<100 EV) CHARGED PARTICLES. THE PROPOSED FLIGHT TEST WILL ADVANCE THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR LUNAR (AND BEYOND) APPLICATIONS. AFTER SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT TEST OF THE PROPOSED JANUS-PIMS WE CAN COMBINE THIS PAYLOAD WITH OUR (HIGHER ENERGY) RADIATION MONITORING SYSTEM (ERM) WHICH IS A MATURE SENSOR WITH FLIGHT HERITAGE ON NASA S VAN ALLEN PROBE MISSION (AND ALSO SELECTED FOR THE EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION). WE REQUIRE THE PIMS INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE LOWER ENERGY PARTICLES SO WE CAN CHARACTERIZE THE ENTIRE RADIATION SPECTRUM. THIS COMBINED SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE A COMPLETE LUNAR RADIATION HAZARD AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM THAT IS SELF-CONTAINED FLEXIBLE AND LOW COST. OUR PAYLOAD WILL NOT ONLY CHARACTERIZE THE LUNAR SURFACE ENVIRONMENT BUT ALSO EASILY ACCOMMODATE OTHER INSTRUMENT PAYLOADS AND DEVELOPMENT/ TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS ON ANY LUNAR MISSION. ALIGNMENT AND JUSTIFICATION OF SCOPE: THE PROPOSED WORK FALLS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT UTILIZING SUBORBITAL FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE A SPACE EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGY IN A RELEVANT SPACE-LIKE ENVIRONMENT USING A CURRENTLY AVAILABLE U.S. COMMERCIAL SUBORBITAL ROCKET. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ALIGNS WITH TOPIC 1 (SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE LUNAR EXPLORATION AND THE EXPANSION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY INTO CISLUNAR SPACE) AS OUR PAYLOAD WILL FURTHER NASA LUNAR EXPLORATION GOALS BECAUSE ACCURATE CHARACTERIZATION AND MONITORING OF THE LUNAR SURFACE RADIATION AND AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT AT EACH INDIVIDUAL LOCATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ROBOTIC AND HUMAN SURFACE OPERATIONS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE (SUCH AN APPLICATION IS ALSO RELEVANT BEYOND EARTH S ORBIT). OUR PROPOSAL NOT ONLY MEETS THESE EXPLICITLY STATED PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS BUT ALSO ADDRESS TWO OF NASA S LUNAR STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE GAPS: (THEME 2) UNDERSTAND THE LUNAR ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON HUMAN LIFE AND (THEME 3) UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK AND LIVE ON THE LUNAR SURFACE) WITH EMPHASIS ON DETERMINING NEAR SURFACE RADIATION/PLASMA ENVIRONMENTS AND THE NATURE OF DIFFERENTIAL ELECTRICAL CHARGING.