NASA Payload Aims to Probe Deep in Moon to Study Heat Flow – NASA

Earth’s nearest neighboring body in the solar system is its own. The moonso far humans have physically explored only 5% of its surface. It wasn’t until 2023 – construction continues. ApolloData from the 2011-2012 period by NASA’s automated GRAIL and a more detailed study (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission—that researchers conclusively determined that the Moon has a liquid outer core surrounding a solid inner core.

As NASA and its industry partners plan continued exploration of the moon under Artemis in preparation for future long-duration missions to Mars, improving our understanding of Earth’s 4.5-billion-year-old moon will allow researchers And will help astronaut teams find the safest routes. To study and live and work on the surface of the moon.

That better understanding is the primary goal of a state-of-the-art science instrument called LISTER (Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity), one of 10 NASA payloads for the agency’s next-generation CLPS. Flying on delivery.Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and ready to be taken to the surface by Firefly Aerospace. Blue Ghost 1 Lunar Lander.

Developed jointly by Texas Tech University in Lubbock and Honeybee Robotics of Altadena, California, LISTER will measure heat flow from the Moon’s interior. Its state-of-the-art pneumatic drill will penetrate the dust to a depth of three meters. The lunar regolith. Every half meter it descends, the drilling system will pause and raise a custom-made thermal probe into the lunar regolith. LISTER will measure two different aspects of heat flow: thermal gradients, or changes in temperature at different depths, and thermal conductivity, or the ability of subsurface materials to conduct heat.

“By making the same measurements at multiple locations on the lunar surface, we can reconstruct the thermal evolution of the moon,” said Dr. Seiichi Nagihara, the mission’s principal investigator and professor of geophysics at Texas Tech. “This will allow scientists to retrace the geological processes that shaped the Moon from its inception as a ball of molten rock, which gradually cooled, releasing its internal heat into space.”

Demonstrating the drill’s effectiveness could lead to more advanced drilling capabilities, enabling future exploration of the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies. The science collected by LISTER aims to contribute to our knowledge of lunar geology, and to improve our ability to establish long-term A temporary presence on the moon under Artemis campaign

Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial lunar launch services to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama manages the development of seven of the 10 CLPS payloads to be carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander.

Learn more about CLPS and Artemis:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

Alice Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
Alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov