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LUNARLEAPER

 * Home
 * Questions and goals
 * Concept
 * Team
 * Mentors
 * SpaceHopper
 * ESA proposal

 * LUNARLEAPER
   
   AN ESA SMALL MISSION CANDIDATE TO EXPLORE LUNAR CAVES
   
   Learn More

 * OUR QUESTIONS AND GOALS
   
   
   
   QUESTION 1: IS THERE A LAVA TUBE UNDER MARIUS HILLS?
   
   We use geophysical sounding methods to detect a potential void lava tube
   connected to the pit hole and map its extent. By comparing to the extent of
   the rille on the surface, we can give ground truth to orbital measurements.
   
   QUESTION 2: IS THE LAVA TUBE STABLE ENOUGH TO BE USED AS A HUMAN HABITAT?
   
   We investigate the fault map on the rim of the pit hole to find out why it
   collapsed and whether its flanks are stable now. This is necessary before a
   large rover or even humans might be send for further exploration.
   
   QUESTION 3: WHICH VOLCANIC PROCESSES FORMED THE TUBE AND THE PIT?
   
   The layers along the pit wall have recorded the history of volcanic eruptions
   in Marius Hills. We investigate characteristics such as thickness and
   composition of these layers - a window into the lunar past.
   
   QUESTION 4: WHAT IS HIDDEN INSIDE THE REGOLITH AROUND THE PIT?
   
   Our radar and optical system will detect whether there are ancient pieces of
   paleoregolith below ground. These could hold traces from the early sun and
   Earth's atmosphere. Regolith at the surface is more eroded but still imporant
   because this is the material we need to move in and this is why we will also
   explore surface mechanical properies.

 *  
   
   MOBILITY
   
   
   
   LunarLeaper is based on the SpaceHopper design, the result of 4 years of
   iteration at ETH's Robotic Systems Lab (RSL). The robot only weighs ~10 kg.
   
    
   
   LANDING SITE
   
   
   
   We want to explore the Marius Hills pit on the near side of the moon, a pit
   that is thought to be connected to a subsurface hollow lava tube.
   
   Our plan is to land outside the hypothesized extent of the lava tube and
   traverse it twice, while taking some time at the pit itself.
   
    
   
   INSTRUMENTS
   
   
   
   We combine geophysical measurements from the surface with imaging from the
   pit rim. The geophysical instruments are a gravimeter (GRAV) and a ground
   penetrating radar (GPR). For the imaging we use our dedicated science camera
   (SCAM) and hopefully a spectrometer (SPEC). The legs of the rover can be used
   to to dig in the lunar soil to estimate mechanical propoerties.
   
    
   
   CONSORTIUM
   
   
   
   We build on a team from 5 small ESA member states: Switzerland, Belgium,
   Norway, Poland and Luxembourg.

 * TEAM
   
   THE PROPOSERS
   
   DR. ANNA MITTELHOLZ
   
   PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
   
   - Lead of the Magnetometer Working Group and member of the leadership team
   for InSight.
   
   - Involved in mission development for the Mars Helicopter led by JPL.
   
   - Science focus on interior evolution of planets and their magnetic fields,
   currently as an SNSF Ambizione Fellow at ETH Zurich.
   
   DR. SIMON STÄHLER
   
   DEPUTY PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
   
   - Lead of the Tectonics working group and member of the leadership team for
   InSight; Co-Investigator of the BELA instrument on BepiColombo.
   
   - Curriculum director for the new M.Sc. Space at ETH Zürich.
   
   - Science focus on geophysical investigation of subsurface processes on
   planets.
   
   DR. HENDRIK KOLVENBACH
   
   LEAD ROBOTICS
   
   - PI of Team Glimpse (Winning team of ESA/ESRIC Space Resource Challenge), PI
   of PLATE - Pilor Lunar Abrasion Experiment for Rashid-1 mission.
   
   - Author of several high-impact publications for legged robots for Planetary
   Exploration.
   
   - Principal engineer for several legged robots for Planetary Exploration.
   
   DR. VALENTIN BICKEL
   
   LEAD GEOLOGY
   
   - Mission Co-I and instrument Co-PI on MBRSC’s Rashid 1 and 2 rovers and
   involvement in multiple missions such as InSight, VIPER, MRO, Mars Express
   and TGO.
   
   - Researcher at the Center for Space and Habitabilty currently as a CSH
   Fellow.
   
   - Focus on evolutionof planetary surfaces across the solar system.
   
   DR. JOE CHURCH
   
   LEAD ENGINEERING
   
   - 10 years at NASA GSFC with roles such as Robot Joint Control Electronics
   lead for OSAM-1 Robot arms, Mechanism Control Electronics lead engineer for
   Lucy L’Ralph.
   
   - Electrical/Mechanical I&T experience on NASA GEDI, PACE missions.
   
   - Developed Lunar Hazard Detection Lidar “SPLICE”.
   
   DR. OZGUR KARATEKIN
   
   LEAD GRAVIMETRY
   
   - PI of the GRASS gravimeter and Juventas CubeSat on ESA’s Hera mission.
   
   - Institutional leader on geophysical exploration of small bodies including
   the Moon.
   
   - Science focus on gravity and planetary geodesy.
   
   DR. SVEIN-ERIK HAMRAN
   
   LEAD GROUND-PENETRATING-RADAR
   
   - Director of the Center for Space Sensors and Systems at UiO.
   
   - PI of the Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Experiment RIMFAX on NASA’s
   Perseverance Rover and Co-PI on the WISDOM GPR on ESA’s ExoMars rover.
   
   - PhD in GPR and more than 30 years of experience in radar science.


 * MENTORS
   
   OUR TEAM IS YOUNG, MOTIVATED AND EXPERIENCED AND WE HAVE ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE
   IN THE BACK...
   
   PROF. DOMENICO GIARDINI
   
   Co-PI of the NASA InSight mission
   
   Co-PI of the ESA LISA mission
   
   PROF. THOMAS ZURBUCHEN
   
   Former Associate Administrator of the NASA Science Mission Directorate
   
   PROF. MARCO HUTTER
   
   Expert in legged robotic systems
   
   PROF. MIGUEL OLIVARES-MENDEZ
   
   Leader of the Space Science Master in Luxembourg
   
   PROF. NICOLAS THOMAS
   
   Developed optical instruments for multiple ESA missions (Mars Express, TGO,
   BepiColombo)
   
   
   



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