Moon Base technology and knowledge challenges¶
The Users Guide picks out the ADD technology gaps and data gaps behind the capabilities "essential for building and operating the Moon Base". It groups them into two headline challenges and thirteen "associated challenges" (Users Guide, pp. 12–13). This is the source's own mapping of gaps to Moon Base. It names 19 distinct technology gaps and 19 data gaps, DN-001 L through DN-019 L. The tables below were checked against the PDF, because the text extraction scrambles them.
Gap titles and details are on the gap pages:
- gaps index: ID format
ESDMD #NNNNin the technology gaps spreadsheet. All 19 IDs cited here exist in that spreadsheet. - data gaps index
All 19 tech gaps named here have gap pages, and all 19 data gaps have data-gap pages. The 19 data gaps are every lunar data gap in the data gaps spreadsheet, whose lunar rows run exactly DN-001 L to DN-019 L. The sheet also has six Mars data gaps, which the guide doesn't cite.
What the two gap types are¶
- Technology gaps "represent the difference between available functional capabilities and desired future capabilities. The gaps require technology development investments to ensure necessary performance or capabilities beyond the current state of the art". "If a new project or program can meet an architectural need using existing technology, then that area is not a technology gap." Each gap records "the identified need, the current state of the art, the gap's significance to exploration, and the gap's urgency" (Users Guide, p. 11).
- Data gaps "exist when a lack of information affects NASA's ability to implement the Moon Base and enable lunar exploration". Missing information "could impact the agency's ability to perform architecture analyses, characterize or reduce mission risk, develop hardware, mature technology, or advance science". The initial list in ADD Rev C is "not comprehensive or prioritized" (p. 11).
- Both "serve as demand signals from NASA to industry, academia, and international partners". "Missions during phase one of Moon Base development offer opportunities to collect data and mature technologies to enable essential phase two and phase three capabilities" (p. 11).
Headline challenge 1: Landing safely and accurately on the lunar surface¶
Knowledge challenge (p. 12):
- "Observe the lunar surface to identify surface blocks, such as rocks and craters; map surface topology; and characterize variance in gravitational fields to enable precise and safe landings."
- "Characterize and predict the properties of a plume-surface interaction (PSI) event, including ejecta trajectory, particle size distribution, and resulting surface site alterations to evaluate impact risk to mission and nearby assets."
Data gaps: DN-001 L, DN-014 L, DN-002 L, DN-017 L, DN-018 L.
Technology challenge (p. 12):
- "Develop precision landing systems capable of taking highly accurate range and velocity measurements over low-visibility terrain, including in shadow and with induced PSI effects."
- "Develop hazard avoidance systems capable of real time identification of hazardous terrain to find safe touch down locations."
Tech gap: #1101.
Headline challenge 2: Operating on the lunar surface for long durations¶
Knowledge challenge (p. 12):
- "Characterize the lunar surface environment to predict performance impacts and risks associated with long duration surface operations."
- "Investigate dust mechanics, regolith geotechnical properties, and radiation/charged particle fluctuations, seasonal patterns, and scattering."
Data gaps: DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L, DN-011 L, DN-012 L, DN-013 L, DN-015 L, DN-016 L, DN-019 L.
Technology challenge (p. 12):
- "Develop extreme temperature-tolerant mechanisms and electronics for operating through periods of lunar shadow without dedicated heating systems."
- "Develop mitigation systems and strategies to limit system degradation from lunar dust, which is extremely abrasive and electrostatic, meaning it will cling to and damage surface hardware."
- "Develop navigation and timing systems that account for the lunar surface electromagnetic radiation environment, which can impact their accuracy."
Tech gaps: #0101, #0201, #0301, #0801, #0804.
Associated challenges¶
Quotations are from pp. 12–13 of the Users Guide.
| Challenge | What it requires (NASA's wording) | Data gaps | Tech gaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Securing sites | "Identifying, selecting, and landing at individual sites requires more data about the lunar surface, including regolith properties, high-resolution imagery, mapping, and resource locations." | DN-001 L, DN-002 L, DN-003 L, DN-004 L, DN-005 L, DN-006 L, DN-007 L, DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L, DN-013 L, DN-014 L | none |
| Small cargo return | "Returning cargo from the lunar surface (e.g., scientific samples) requires a detailed understanding of how launch from the surface affects lunar regolith and nearby assets." | DN-017 L, DN-018 L | none |
| Surface-to-surface comms | "Deploy communications systems that can operate in the lunar geological, electromagnetic, and radio frequency environment." | none | #0103 |
| Manipulating regolith | "Manipulating lunar regolith at scale for excavation, compaction, and site preparation requires in depth understanding of regolith properties and large scale excavation and construction." | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L, DN-019 L | #0505, #0605 |
| Moving logistics | "Manipulating and transferring lunar surface logistics requires robotic systems for off loading and manipulating payloads, as well as long duration packaging systems for protecting cargo." | none | #0701, #0806, #1001 |
| Solar power | "Deploying systems to generate, store, and distribute solar power requires precise knowledge of lighting conditions and array performance, as well as systems robust to the lunar environment." | DN-005 L, DN-019 L | #0504, #0901, #0903 |
| Thermal generators | "Using radioisotope thermal generators (RTGs) to provide survive the night capabilities requires detailed knowledge of the lunar environmental and systems that can operate there." | DN-019 L | #0301, #0901 |
| Electrical connections | "Connecting systems and sharing power on the lunar surface requires dust tolerant connections and the ability to deploy cables." | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-019 L | #0903 |
| Wireless charging | "Demonstrating wireless charging for rovers requires both detailed knowledge of the lunar environment and interoperable wireless power systems that work in that environment." | DN-009 L | #0903 |
| Timing systems | "Timing systems must be capable of providing precise real time synchronization between assets on the lunar surface with low latency and drift." | none | #0101 |
| Pressurized mating | "Mating pressurized systems on the lunar surface requires dust tolerant systems, which rely on detailed knowledge of lunar regolith and the surface environment." | DN-008 L, DN-009 L, DN-010 L, DN-019 L | #0807 |
| Initial habitation | "Demonstrate deployment and operation of a small, pressurized, crew rated surface module with a minimal environmental control and life support system and externally supplied power." | none | #0807, #0903 |
| ISRU systems | "Using local lunar resources to enable exploration requires both detailed knowledge of resource availability and systems to extract and process those resources." | DN-006 L, DN-007 L | #0601, #0603, #0604, #0605 |
Reverse index: gaps the Users Guide names for Moon Base¶
This index is derived from the tables above. It is useful for the gap pages' "Moon Base relevance" sections.
Technology gaps (19):
| Gap | Challenges citing it |
|---|---|
| #0101 | Long-duration operations; timing systems |
| #0103 | Surface-to-surface comms |
| #0201 | Long-duration operations |
| #0301 | Long-duration operations; thermal generators |
| #0504 | Solar power |
| #0505 | Manipulating regolith |
| #0601 | ISRU systems |
| #0603 | ISRU systems |
| #0604 | ISRU systems |
| #0605 | Manipulating regolith; ISRU systems |
| #0701 | Moving logistics |
| #0801 | Long-duration operations |
| #0804 | Long-duration operations |
| #0806 | Moving logistics |
| #0807 | Pressurized mating; initial habitation |
| #0901 | Solar power; thermal generators |
| #0903 | Solar power; electrical connections; wireless charging; initial habitation |
| #1001 | Moving logistics |
| #1101 | Landing safely and accurately |
Data gaps (19):
| Data gap | Challenges citing it |
|---|---|
| DN-001 L | Landing; securing sites |
| DN-002 L | Landing; securing sites |
| DN-003 L | Securing sites |
| DN-004 L | Securing sites |
| DN-005 L | Securing sites; solar power |
| DN-006 L | Securing sites; ISRU systems |
| DN-007 L | Securing sites; ISRU systems |
| DN-008 L | Long-duration operations; securing sites; manipulating regolith; electrical connections; pressurized mating |
| DN-009 L | Long-duration operations; securing sites; manipulating regolith; electrical connections; wireless charging; pressurized mating |
| DN-010 L | Long-duration operations; securing sites; manipulating regolith; pressurized mating |
| DN-011 L | Long-duration operations |
| DN-012 L | Long-duration operations |
| DN-013 L | Long-duration operations; securing sites |
| DN-014 L | Landing; securing sites |
| DN-015 L | Long-duration operations |
| DN-016 L | Long-duration operations |
| DN-017 L | Landing; small cargo return |
| DN-018 L | Landing; small cargo return |
| DN-019 L | Long-duration operations; manipulating regolith; solar power; thermal generators; electrical connections; pressurized mating |
DN-001 L to DN-019 L is the complete lunar data-gap list: the data gaps spreadsheet has no other lunar rows. So every lunar data gap is named in the Moon Base Users Guide (near-term), while only 19 of the 57 tech gaps are. The data gaps index tables all 25 data gaps with their challenges.
Text-layer note. In the extracted text of p. 12, the IDs "DN-010 L DN-013 L DN-014 L" appear after DN-019 L in the long-duration list. The PDF shows they are the second row of the "Securing sites" list, scrambled in extraction. The tables above follow the PDF.
Related pages¶
Phase 1 functional gaps · Environment · Phases · Surface technology · Moon Base hub