125 Lunar Science and Exploration in the Artemis Era
Current and anticipated science return in the areas of geology, composition, and interior of the Moon from current lunar-focused studies and upcoming payloads expected to land on the Moon in the next decade.
Monday, 20 October 2025
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, 214C
Lunar Science Support and Instrumentation Efforts at SwRI
Paper number: 125-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 3:05 PM – 3:20 PM
Authors
Abstract
This presentation will overview a subset of ongoing lunar efforts at Southwest Research Institute. Do polar cold traps include surface-exposed water and in what quantity? What gases and volatiles are released by equipment, astronauts, and their activities disturbing the lunar surface? How do volatiles and gases move about in the polar region exosphere and does it differ from the rest of the Moon? How does instrumentation react to the dusty, cryogenic vacuum environment? We are addressing these and other questions via: (1) laboratory characterization of Apollo samples and lunar simulants supporting interpretation of results from lunar observations such as the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP), (2) instruments/suites proposed for lunar robotic or astronaut delivery, and (3) a high vacuum testing chamber presently coming online for proving out systems and processes in a dusty, cryogenic, vacuum environment.
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6
doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-412690
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