Investigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility System
The NASA Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) is capable of assessing the geotechnical properties of the lunar south pole’s terrain, specifically as they pertain to terramechanics or the wheel–terrain interaction, combining the rover’s mobility system and science payloads. This pa...
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/add13f |
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| author | Erin Rezich Valentin T. Bickel Parker L. Francis Arno Rogg Antoine Tardy Colin Creager Heather A. Oravec Alexander Schepelmann Kimberly Ennico-Smith Ariel Deutsch Masatoshi Hirabayashi |
| author_facet | Erin Rezich Valentin T. Bickel Parker L. Francis Arno Rogg Antoine Tardy Colin Creager Heather A. Oravec Alexander Schepelmann Kimberly Ennico-Smith Ariel Deutsch Masatoshi Hirabayashi |
| author_sort | Erin Rezich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The NASA Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) is capable of assessing the geotechnical properties of the lunar south pole’s terrain, specifically as they pertain to terramechanics or the wheel–terrain interaction, combining the rover’s mobility system and science payloads. This paper focuses on one key aspect of VIPER’s mission: the quantitative evaluation of geotechnical parameters via tractive performance by analyzing wheel and wheel–regolith interaction dynamics. As VIPER navigates the largely uncharted terrain of the Moon’s south pole, sophisticated onboard instrumentation will monitor and record detailed interactions between the rover’s wheels, chassis, and the lunar surface. These measurements will capture critical data such as wheel slip and sinkage, offering insights into the mechanical behavior of the soil under actual lunar conditions. The findings from VIPER are expected to provide a foundational understanding of the lunar south pole’s regolith mechanics, directly informing the design and navigation strategies of future lunar missions, including the deployment of more advanced rovers and crewed vehicles. By integrating lunar surface observations with the rover’s kinematic model and understood terrestrial mobility performance, the study aims to enhance predictive accuracy regarding rover tractive performance over sloped, level, and potentially volatile-rich terrain. Ground truth geotechnical assessments and proceeding mobility characterization work will serve as a cornerstone for verifying and improving both terrestrial test approaches and simulation models that underpin mission planning and risk management for subsequent explorations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-69d5032a37224b4fa0feb8b4a1b9f7f0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-69d5032a37224b4fa0feb8b4a1b9f7f02025-08-20T02:41:09ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382025-01-016716910.3847/PSJ/add13fInvestigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility SystemErin Rezich0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4015-0656Valentin T. Bickel1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7914-2516Parker L. Francis2Arno Rogg3Antoine Tardy4Colin Creager5Heather A. Oravec6Alexander Schepelmann7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9014-2173Kimberly Ennico-Smith8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8847-8492Ariel Deutsch9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9831-3619Masatoshi Hirabayashi10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1821-5689NASA Glenn Research Center , Cleveland, OH 44135, USA ; erin.t.rezich@nasa.govCenter for Space and Habitability, University of Bern , 3012 Bern, SwitzerlandNASA Johnson Space Center , Houston, TX 77058, USAKBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USAKBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USANASA Glenn Research Center , Cleveland, OH 44135, USA ; erin.t.rezich@nasa.govThe University of Akron , Akron, OH 44325, USANASA Glenn Research Center , Cleveland, OH 44135, USA ; erin.t.rezich@nasa.govNASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, CA 94035, USANASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; Bay Area Environmental Research Institute , Moffett Field, CA 94035, USAGeorgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, GA 30332, USAThe NASA Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) is capable of assessing the geotechnical properties of the lunar south pole’s terrain, specifically as they pertain to terramechanics or the wheel–terrain interaction, combining the rover’s mobility system and science payloads. This paper focuses on one key aspect of VIPER’s mission: the quantitative evaluation of geotechnical parameters via tractive performance by analyzing wheel and wheel–regolith interaction dynamics. As VIPER navigates the largely uncharted terrain of the Moon’s south pole, sophisticated onboard instrumentation will monitor and record detailed interactions between the rover’s wheels, chassis, and the lunar surface. These measurements will capture critical data such as wheel slip and sinkage, offering insights into the mechanical behavior of the soil under actual lunar conditions. The findings from VIPER are expected to provide a foundational understanding of the lunar south pole’s regolith mechanics, directly informing the design and navigation strategies of future lunar missions, including the deployment of more advanced rovers and crewed vehicles. By integrating lunar surface observations with the rover’s kinematic model and understood terrestrial mobility performance, the study aims to enhance predictive accuracy regarding rover tractive performance over sloped, level, and potentially volatile-rich terrain. Ground truth geotechnical assessments and proceeding mobility characterization work will serve as a cornerstone for verifying and improving both terrestrial test approaches and simulation models that underpin mission planning and risk management for subsequent explorations.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/add13fLunar surfaceLunar regolith |
| spellingShingle | Erin Rezich Valentin T. Bickel Parker L. Francis Arno Rogg Antoine Tardy Colin Creager Heather A. Oravec Alexander Schepelmann Kimberly Ennico-Smith Ariel Deutsch Masatoshi Hirabayashi Investigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility System The Planetary Science Journal Lunar surface Lunar regolith |
| title | Investigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility System |
| title_full | Investigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility System |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility System |
| title_short | Investigating the Geotechnical Properties of the Lunar South Pole with NASA VIPER’s Mobility System |
| title_sort | investigating the geotechnical properties of the lunar south pole with nasa viper s mobility system |
| topic | Lunar surface Lunar regolith |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/add13f |
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