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VAPoR: Analyzing Lunar Regolith by Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry

VAPoR: Analyzing Lunar Regolith by Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry. Daniel P. Glavin and the VAPoR Team NASA Goddard Space Flight Center daniel.p.glavin@nasa.gov. 9 th LESWG General Meeting October 18, 2007.

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VAPoR: Analyzing Lunar Regolith by Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry

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  1. VAPoR: Analyzing Lunar Regolith by Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry Daniel P. Glavin and the VAPoR Team NASA Goddard Space Flight Center daniel.p.glavin@nasa.gov 9th LESWG General Meeting October 18, 2007

  2. Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR) Team Supported by IRAD and Lunar Sortie Science Opportunities (LSSO) • Daniel Glavin / 699 (Principal Investigator) • Rob Boyle / 552 (Thermal Design) • Eric Cardiff / 597 (Vacuum Pyrolysis Development) • Jason Dworkin / 691 (Lunar Science Definition) • Steve Feng / 564 (Electrical Systems) • Dan Harpold / 699 (Mass Spectrometer Design) • Andrew Jones / 543 (Mechanical Design) • Paul Mahaffy / 699 (Instrument Design) • Dave Martin / 599 (Systems Engineering) • Marla Moore / 691 (Cometary Ice Analogs) • Ed Patrick / 699 (VAPoR Breadboard) • Patrick Roman / 553 (Mass Spectrometer Development) • Tim Stephenson / 541 (Thermal Pyrolysis Development) • Inge Loes ten Kate / 699 (VAPoR Breadboard) • Steve Gorevan and Dustyn Roberts / Honeybee Robotics (Sample Carousel)

  3. Is there water-ice at the lunar poles? Clementine: High circular polarization ratio (CPR) over dark areas at poles; No enhancement in sunlit areas. Bussey et al. 2005; Fristad et al. 2004 The source of enhanced hydrogen at the poles remains controversial. In situ measurements will be necessary to determine the composition, abundance, spatial distribution, and source of lunar volatiles.

  4. Potential Sources of Lunar Volatiles Earth (contamination, possible terrestrial meteorites) Solar wind (implanted H,C,N, He, Ne) Moon (radioactive decay, outgassing) Interplanetary dust particles Comets and Asteroids (water-ice, organics?)

  5. Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment (LACE) • Magnetic deflection mass spectrometer (1 to 110 amu) • Measured surface atmospheric composition during Apollo 17 • Detected H2, He, Ne, Ar and trace levels of CH4, NH3, H2O and CO2 • Sources: chemical reactions with solar wind implanted ions, outgassing, and/or exchange with cold traps LACE PI: John Hoffman Surface regolith samples not analyzed by LACE

  6. VAPoR is a Miniature Version of SAM VAPoR SAM Mass: 7-15 kg 40 kg Power: 20-25 W 60-80 W Data rate: 1 kbps <100 kpbs Volume: 19 dm3 68 dm3 Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR)

  7. Key Science Objectives • Determine the composition, abundance, spatial distribution, and source of lunar volatiles associated with polar hydrogen deposits. • Characterize the native lunar atmosphere at the poles. • Understand the processes by which terrestrial organics or volatiles are dispersed and/or destroyed on the Moon. • Evaluate the potential of the polar regolith for future in situ resource utilization (ISRU). • Identify potentially hazardous volatiles (e.g. radon) VAPoR can address ALL of these lunar surface science measurement objectives

  8. VAPoR Measurements of Lunar Atmosphere and Regolith C,H,O,N-Volatiles Origin of Volatiles (Isotopes) Noble Gases Organics Resources (ISRU)

  9. Isotope measurements will help constrain the origin of lunar volatiles Asteroid Terrestrial Organics Solar wind e.g. D/H and 13C/12C ratios

  10. VAPoR can be integrated into an autonomous suitcase-sized package Solid samples Solid samples Mass range: 1-250 amu Mass range: 1-250 amu >1200ºC >1200ºC

  11. VAPoR Model VAPoR instrument packaging optimized by D. Jones / 543

  12. Sample Manipulation System (SMS) S. Gorevan and D. Roberts (Honeybee Robotics) Lunar regolith core samples collected robotically or by an astronaut and delivered to 6 cup exchangeable sample carousel. VAPoR Carousel inserted into VAPoR and sample cups individually heated for quantitative volatiles analysis.

  13. Vacuum Pyrolysis • Highly efficient way to extract volatiles from regolith • Lunar regolith must be heated to 1200-1400ºC to release oxygen (E. Cardiff and K. Neff) • SAM pyrolysis units designed to heat samples to 1100ºC max (P. Jordan) • High melting point materials for lunar pyrolysis cups (T. Stephenson) • VAPoR breadboard instrument tested at GSFC(I. L. ten Kate and E. Patrick) SAM pyrolysis unit Vacuum pyrolysis chamber

  14. Knudsen pyrolysis cell VAPoR Prototype Vacuum chamber Evolved gas analysis of JSC-1 lunar regolith simulant heated to 1200ºC under vacuum I. L. ten Kate and E. Patrick QMS RGA Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer H2 H2 Detection limit for water in the ppm range (~ 0.0001%) H2O H2 H2O CO2 SO2 CO2 N2/CO H2 H2O CO2 N2/CO O2 SO2 N2/CO

  15. Mass Spectrometer Heritage Niemann et al. (1996) Jupiter: Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer CONTOUR NGIMS Saturn: Cassini-Huygens Probe GCMS

  16. Miniature Mass Spectrometer Development at Goddard Micro Electro Mechanical Sys-tems (MEMS) reflectron time of flight mass spectrometer (ToF-MS) currently under development at GSFC is one of the candidates for VAPoR. (P. Roman, T. King ,and coworkers)

  17. Future Opportunities • Robotic Exploration? • Crater lander, hopper, rover, tetwalker • Determine H abundance, composition, and distribution at crater rim and interior • Measure variability and abundance of water-ice and other volatiles inside crater • ISRU enabling technology • Human Exploration (>2018) • Moon as test-bed for in situ volatile analyses to understand human contamination of atmosphere and regolith. • Ability to identify volatile-rich samples for return to Earth.

  18. Please contact me about ideas or suggestions related to this study or future lunar mission concepts……. Email: daniel.p.glavin@nasa.gov Tel: x46361

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