Astrochemistry: Prospectivity Modeling of the NASA VIPER Landing Site at Mons Mouton near the Lunar South Pole

We use a high-resolution digital elevation model and a numerical thermal model to produce a variety of inputs for a water-ice prospectivity model for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) landing site.

These input data are maps of topography, surface slope, surface aspect, surface curvature, maximum temperature, depth to ice stability, permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), distance to PSRs, and PSR density.

This model predicts where water ice is most likely within the top meter of regolith, assuming plausible relationships between ice concentration and the various inputs. The model is designed to be adjusted in near-real time as data are collected during the VIPER mission.

As such, it is a tool for both analyzing data from the mission as well as planning operations. Since the current model, at this point, relies only on orbital remote sensing, the final version will also be a tool to extrapolate the VIPER mission results across the lunar poles.

The figure illustrates the diverse potential types of deposits of lunar water ice, ranging from fluid inclusions within minerals to layers within discrete strata, scattered accumulations, and surficial deposits within the confines of PSRs. The water ice may exist as chunky fragments, occupy the spaces between soil particles, or form a delicate frost along the edges of granules (modified from D. Hurley et al. 2021 and G. Heiken et al. 1991). — The Planetary Science Journal

Prospectivity Modeling of the NASA VIPER Landing Site at Mons Mouton near the Lunar South Pole, The Planetary Science Journal (open access)

Astrobiology, Astrochemistry,