An Emergency Mitigation System for Safer Lunar Surface Exploration

Abstract

One of the central achievements of the Apollo program was the development of rover vehicles which significantly increased the range and scientific capabilities of lunar surface exploration. Given the mission specifications of the Apollo program—which generated a combined total of 3 days and 6 hours of lunar surface Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) time—the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 mission vehicles were designed primarily for short-duration exploration. However, as proposed future space exploration looks ahead to longer duration missions, and perhaps even to the establishment of a permanent manned lunar presence [1], the capabilities of unpressurized rover vehicles must be expanded, not only in terms of surface range, but also in their ability to tolerate unexpected emergency scenarios.