Moon Compact Satellite for Hazard Assessment (MOOCHA) - Proposing an International Earth-Moon Small Satellite Constellation

摘要

The recent developments in space exploration have reinstated the Moon as a primary target for near future space missions. The principal reasons include the Moon being the closest test bed and analogue for planetary space missions and the prospect of scientific lunar bases and orbital stations within the next decade. Previous space missions have vastly improved our understanding on hazards of human spaceflights but not fully regarding the threats affecting a prospective lunar base or orbital station. The micrometeorite hazard has been partially addressed as an issue which can potentially impact both astronauts' health and safety as well as create issues for lunar bases and orbital stations, such as degradation or permanent damage of equipment and facilities. The current understanding is based partly on dust and micrometeoroid flux measurements and impact flash observations. However, observations with improved spatial and temporal resolution are imperative for advancing existing hazard models. In this paper, a mission concept of a constellation of nanosatellites is proposed that can both observe larger parts of cis-lunar and trans-lunar space while providing higher temporal resolution. Nanosatellite missions are a cost-effective solution providing data for significant improvement of our current understanding of lunar micrometeoroid flux models, and thus directly the scale of hazards caused by micrometeoroid impacts to future lunar missions. Additionally, such a distributed constellation mission will offer countless opportunities for academia, students and young scientists worldwide. The mission concept (Moon Compact Satellite for Hazard Assessment - MOOCHA) is a result of the Nordic-European Astrobiology Campus Summer School 2018 themed "Microsatellites in Planetary and Atmospheric Research" and was further developed during the 2019 follow-up summer school "Design of Small Satellite Missions for Planetary Studies", both taking place in Tartu, Estonia and co-organized