Daedalus

The DAEDALUS mission concept aims at exploring and characterising the entrance and initial part of Lunar lava tubes within a compact, tightly integrated spherical robotic device, with a complementary payload set and autonomous capabilities.

The mission concept addresses specifically the identification and characterisation of potential resources for future ESA exploration, the local environment of the subsurface and its geologic and compositional structure.

A sphere is ideally suited to protect sensors and scientific equipment in rough, uneven environments. It will house panoramic lenses, laser scanners, cameras and ancillary payload.

The sphere will be lowered into the skylight and will explore the entrance shaft, associated caverns and conduits. Lidar (light detection and ranging) systems produce 3D models with high spatial accuracy independent of lighting conditions and visible features. Hence this will be the primary exploration toolset within the sphere.