NASA payload to study heat flow beneath the Moon's surface

NASA payload to study heat flow beneath the Moon's surface
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 26, 2024

Earth's closest celestial neighbor, the Moon, has seen only 5% of its surface directly explored by humans. Decades of study, including NASA's Apollo-era missions and the 2011-2012 GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission, culminated in the discovery in 2023 of a liquid outer core surrounding a solid inner core within the Moon.

As NASA's Artemis program intensifies preparations for extended lunar missions and eventual journeys to Mars, advancing our understanding of the Moon's history and structure is critical. The next step involves LISTER (Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity), a cutting-edge scientific payload designed to delve into the Moon's depths and study its thermal characteristics.

LISTER is one of ten NASA payloads included in the next lunar delivery under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 lander will transport the payloads to the lunar surface. The instrument, developed by Texas Tech University and Honeybee Robotics, features a highly specialized pneumatic drill capable of reaching depths of three meters into the Moon's regolith. At intervals of 0.5 meters, the drill will pause to insert a thermal probe, enabling measurements of both the thermal gradient (temperature changes with depth) and thermal conductivity (how well heat moves through subsurface materials).

Dr. Seiichi Nagihara, a geophysics professor at Texas Tech and LISTER's principal investigator, explained, "By making similar measurements at multiple locations on the lunar surface, we can reconstruct the thermal evolution of the Moon. That will permit scientists to retrace the geological processes that shaped the Moon from its start as a ball of molten rock, which gradually cooled off by releasing its internal heat into space."

The findings from LISTER will not only enhance our understanding of lunar geology but could also pave the way for advanced drilling techniques on Mars and other planetary bodies. This data is essential for developing strategies to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon as part of the Artemis program.

CLPS exemplifies NASA's commitment to fostering commercial partnerships, supporting private industry's growth while advancing lunar exploration. Acting as a key customer, NASA aims to create a marketplace for Moon delivery services that attracts multiple clients. Of the ten CLPS payloads aboard Blue Ghost, seven are managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

For more information about CLPS and Artemis, visit here