LEADER

Lunar Equatorial Daylight Exploration Rover

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Saba Raji

Sraji@Usc.edu

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Professor: M.Thangavelu,

ASTE527 Space Architecture

Viterbi School of Engineering

December 12^th, 2023

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Context

NASA’S Rovers

A pressurized rover will enable farther and longer lunar surface expeditions by providing a place for astronauts to live and work as they traverse on the Moon.

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NASA’s pressurized rover prototype

Researchers from NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) gathered to test pressurized rover operations for future Artemis missions.

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Lunar Cruiser rover By JAXA and Toyota

Toyota to create a crewed rover with a pressurized passenger compartment that will be powered by fuel cell technologies.

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In 1990, Brand Griffin developed the

“Daylight Rover” Concept for Boeing, which.

"Habot" Mobile Lunar Base concept

NASA’s Space Exploration Vehicle

“Daylight Rover”

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Concept

LEADER : Lunar Equatorial Daylight Exploration Rover traverse mission concept

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• Proposes an alternative to Artemis lll
• Proposed as a rehearsal to test the capabilities of commercial space transportation systems
• Plans to return crew to the Mare Tranquillitatis region to explore the pits and conduct a traverse to the Apollo 11 site to survey the landing site and to preserve the historic site and its contents.

Core principles:

• LEO integration and staging at ISS
• Enhancing safety through integrated design
• Simplifying crew transfer EVA needs between transit
• Lunar lander & surface vehicles that provides instant mobility after landing

Mare Tranquillitatis region

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Rationale

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• Enhance Safety: Planetary surface exploration activities would be greatly improved if the astronauts did not have to be transferred from Lander to the rover for space exploration
• Exposed to lunar dust
• Radiation
• Temperature changes

The Design Eliminates the need to constantly switch between different vehicles in EVA suits in the harsh lunar environment

• Provides Instant Mobility and Flexibility : Immediate ability to explore upon landing
• Emphasize on efficiency within the Lunar exploration: Acting as both habitable module and a rover, allows astronauts to explore distant regions of the lunar surface without the need to return frequently to a central base

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Crew Cabin

Blue Moon

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Launch Elements ( Commercial Systems )

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• Falcon 9 is a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle ( Dragon spacecraft )

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• Falcon Heavy can lift nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lbs) to orbit

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• Can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit

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• It can also be used as an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle

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• Thrust pallet assembly

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Thrust pallet

Dragon spacecraft

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Thrust pallet & Payload

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• Fully reusable propulsion systems
• The thrust pallet specifically designed To accommodate both the modular propulsion system and the lander/rover assembly
• Fuel Tanks
• Controlled rupture airbag landing systems (CEV) Airbag Landing System
• Propulsion system
• Retractable Ramp

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Thrust pallet

Fuel Tank

Airbag Landing System

Descent Engines

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Rover Architecture

Crew Cabin Module

• The architecture of the LEADER rover uses the Modular Lunar Daylight Pressurized Electric Rover with Airlocks systems as a baseline
• Twice the size of the Nasa’s Pressurized Rover to accommodate two Astronauts for the initial 4 days Traverse and then 2-week 2X crew mission
• EVA suits are inside the Airlock at the back

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Mobility Chassis Module

AIRLOCK SYSTEM & DOCKING SYSTEM AT THE BACK

FOLD UP STEPS

SOLAR ARRAY

TELESCOPE

ADJUSTABLE SHADE

ADJUSTABLE SHADE

MANIPULATOR ARMS

SAMPLE COLLECTING BOX

SAMPLE COLLECTING BOX

MANIPULATOR ARMS

• NASA’s pressurized rover prototype

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Operation Phase I

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LEO/ISS as the integration facility

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Separate pre mission: An earlier orbiting mission with 2 crew in preparation for LEADER mission

The two astronauts are transported to (LEO) aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

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Dragon spacecraft

Falcon 9 rocket

Phase I

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Operation Phase II

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LEO/ISS as the integration facility

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Falcon Heavy launch vehicle

Docking to ISS

• The LEADER is first deployed to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), then to Lunar Orbit, and finally to the Gateway

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• Using Fully reusable and modular propulsion system designed for efficient space travel

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• 'Modular Assembly in Low Earth Orbit' (MALEO)

Phase II

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Operation Phase III

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• Using Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Airbag Landing System
• Descends from the thrust system using a ramp
• Transitions from a stationary module to a fully operational habitat rover during the entire traverse mission
• Explore sites along the mare traverse without the need to frequently return to a lander

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Traverse Operation Upon Landing

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Tentative Landing region

Apollo 11

Apollo 11

Mare Tranquillitatis Pit

Apollo 11

The LEADER mission recommends daylight traverse operation starting with the Mare Tranquillitatis Pit exploration and driving to the Apollo 11 landing site in a four-day traverse, as opposed to NASA’s initial plan of landing at the South Pole.

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Source: Operation Hermes-Artemis Journey: Journey of USC Artemis

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Exit Operation

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Day 01

Day 02

Day 03

Day 04

Crew return to Earth

• Lunar Lander Touchdown
• Travel From pit edge to Loc 1

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• Crew arrives at the accent module Apollo 11 site
• Crew exit in the EVA Suit
• Leave the LEADER, ascending into the dedicated ascent vehicle in their EVA suits
• Dock with a low lunar orbiting capsule for Earth's return

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• Collect sample
• Travel to Location 2

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• Scientific observation and Travel to the ascent Module

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Future Study:

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How to Eliminate the last step?

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The crew leaving the LEADER with EVA suits and ascending into the ascent vehicle

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Thank you

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Saba Raji

Sraji@Usc.edu

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References

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• Lunar Lander Offloading Operations Using a Heavy-Lift Lunar Surface Manipulator System
• NASA. (2010). Lunar Lander Offloading Operations Using a Heavy-Lift Lunar Surface Manipulator System. Retrieved from NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS).
• MALEO: Modular Assembly in Low Earth Orbit
• Thangavelu, M., & Schierle, G. G. MALEO: Modular Assembly in Low Earth Orbit. A Strategy for a Lunar Base. University of Southern California. [URL not provided].
• Orion CEV Earth Landing Impact Attenuating Airbags - Design Challenges and Application
• Orion CEV Earth Landing Impact Attenuating Airbags - Design Challenges and Application. Semantic Scholar. [URL not provided].
• Operation Hermes-Artemis Journey: Journey of USC Artemis
• Operation Hermes-Artemis Journey: Tribute to Apollo: Operation Hermes Mission. Retrieved from Google Docs.
• Helios-Lune Tranquillity: Artemis III Exploration Mission & Retrieval of Solar Activity Records
• Brown, C. Helios-Lune Tranquillity: Artemis III Exploration Mission & Retrieval of Solar Activity Records. [URL not provided].
• Apollo Maxim Project ASTE 527 Home - 2019 - USC ARTEMIS: MAXIM Retrieved from Google Sites.
• Pressurized Rover Airlocks
• Cohen, M. M. (2000). Pressurized Rover Airlocks. Presented at the 30th International Conference on Environmental Systems, Toulouse, France, July 10-13, 2000. Retrieved from ResearchGate.
• NASA's Artemis Program
• Experimental Investigation of Minimum Required Cabin Sizing in Varying Gravity Levels
• Available at: Texas Tech University Institutional Repository.
• Additional Online Resources:
• Starship Mobile
• Blue Origin Official Website
• Interesting Engineering: NASA hints it may delay Artemis III lunar landing mission
• Phys.org: NASA may delay crewed lunar landing beyond Artemis 3 mission
• SpaceNews: Bridenstine hints Artemis 3 could land near Apollo site
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Artemis 3 - How NASA Plans to Land Astronauts on Moon's South Pole

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