See more from this Division: Pardee Keynote Sessions
See more from this Session: Return to the Moon: A New Era of Lunar Exploration
Abstract:
Other planetary science questions relevant to the lunar poles include: 1) What are the accumulation and loss mechanisms acting on volatiles in the polar cold traps? How do these mechanisms compare to what occurs on other planetary bodies, for example on the polar cold traps of Mercury? 2) What are the physical properties of lunar regolith when it is kept at a constant and very low (<50K) temperature? How are the properties of cold regolith modified when it may be cemented by frozen volatile elements?
Very little information is available to answer any of these questions. Thus, new data from both orbital and landed platforms will be invaluable for providing answers. In addition, since a better understanding of lunar polar resources is critically needed for the lunar exploration program, the study of lunar polar deposits is highly synergistic for both exploration and scientific applications. Specifically, this talk will review existing hydrogen abundance measurements and focus on ways our understanding of the hydrogen abundances can be improved with data from future missions.
See more from this Division: Pardee Keynote Sessions
See more from this Session: Return to the Moon: A New Era of Lunar Exploration