Executive Summary
L’PACE is a systems-driven lunar mission concept developed to evaluate the structural and environmental viability of lava tube formations within the Marius Hills pit for sustained human habitation. The architecture integrates a coordinated dual-rover system designed to characterize radiation attenuation, thermal gradients, regolith composition, and subsurface structural integrity under lunar environmental constraints.
The mission framework addresses critical uncertainties surrounding lava tube habitability while remaining aligned with mass, power, and deployment limitations relevant to Artemis surface operations.
Mission Context
Long-duration lunar habitation requires shielding from radiation, thermal cycling, and micrometeoroid exposure. Lava tubes may provide natural protection, but their internal stability and environmental conditions remain insufficiently characterized. Reliable in situ data is required before habitat infrastructure can be deployed.
System Architecture
The mission employs a dual-rover configuration:
- Surface Rover for terrain mapping, environmental monitoring, and communications relay
- Subsurface Rover for pit descent and interior environmental assessment
Requirements were derived from survivability thresholds including radiation dose limits, thermal constraints, mobility limitations, and communication continuity. Trade studies evaluated subsystem feasibility within mass and power budgets.
Technical Analysis
Environmental modeling assessed radiation attenuation and thermal stability within subsurface geometries. Structural considerations addressed rover load distribution during descent and surface traversal. Instrument selection and measurement sequencing were aligned with scientific return optimization while maintaining operational safety margins.
Mass and power allocations were evaluated to ensure deployment feasibility within defined mission constraints.
Validation and Performance
Thermal and structural assessments confirmed subsystem survivability under expected lunar conditions. Trade studies supported optimized subsystem selection based on reliability, performance, and constraint compliance. The final architecture demonstrates technical feasibility for high-value subsurface data acquisition.
Role and Impact
Science Team Member
- Contributed to development of scientific objectives and measurement criteria
- Supported environmental and radiation assessment planning
- Participated in trade study evaluation
- Assisted in mission requirement validation and technical presentation