Paper 13093-281
Paper 13093-281
The Portable Lunar Observer for Volatiles, Environment and Resources (PLOVER)
19 June 2024 • 17:30 - 19:00 Japan Standard Time | Room G5, North - 1F
Abstract
The Portable Lunar Observer for Volatiles, Environment and Resources (PLOVER) is a unique system derived from high TRL cubesat parts repurposed for the exploration of the Moon from orbit and / or the lunar surface. It is equipped with three primary instruments: (1) the Wideband Internal Neutron and Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (WINGS), a large volume high resolution gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer (1000 cubic cm); (2) the Regolith Fluorescence Experiment (ReFlEx), a Silicon Drift Diode Array sensitive between 0.2--20 keV; and (3) the Advanced Visible Infrared Analytical Spectrometer (AVIANS), a compact VIS/IR spectrometer sensitive between 300~nm and 2.5 μm.
The architecture of PLOVER is highly scalable and aims to: characterize lunar geology on global and local scales; conduct a search for resources on the lunar surfaces, including water; identify and characterize the transport of volatiles; and provide information on
the radiation environment encountered by astronauts. Currently it is designed for deployment and operation over all phases of the Artemis crewed Lunar expeditions.
Presenter
Ctr. for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (United States)
Branden Allen has led and participated in the development of X- and Gamma-Ray detector technologies, systems and mission, as well as their deployment on balloons and spacecraft for astrophysics and planetary science during the last 16 years. His primary research focuses on the development of high Z-semiconductor detectors, including CZT and TlBr, creation of the next-generation of wide-field X-ray monitors for high-resolution monitoring of the X-ray sky, as well as missions and instruments which aim to make use of new Lunar flight opportunities to probe the properties, resources and history of the Moon.