TSUKIMI

Overview

The TSUKIMI project aims to use terahertz wave sensors to conduct a wide-ranging exploration of the lunar surface (hereafter referred to as terahertz sensing) to obtain information on the distribution and quantity of water ice and metal resources located up to several tens of centimeters below the surface. Terahertz sensing allows for the acquisition of both the brightness temperature and dielectric constant of areas up to several tens of centimeters below the lunar surface. The aim is to determine the distribution and quantity of underground resources based on these data. Particularly, in the near future, large-scale development is expected on the lunar surface, and the TSUKIMI project aims to conduct an early investigation of the spatial distribution of useful materials and build a foundation for future business. Furthermore, the project aims to clarify the physical and chemical heterogeneity of the lunar surface and obtain knowledge on the physical and chemical evolution of the regolith covering the lunar surface.

The core of the TSUKIMI project is a receiving device for terahertz radiation, which has demonstrated high performance on the SMILES mission. The device will passively and accurately measure brightness temperature and also perform polarization observations to estimate the average dielectric constant of areas up to several tens of centimeters below the lunar surface. While the chemical composition cannot be directly determined from the dielectric constant alone, it is expected to play a crucial role in the quantitative estimation of water ice and metal resources by detecting local anomalies in the dielectric constant in comparison to the surrounding areas. Based on this data, the project aims to create a resource map of the lunar surface and contribute to future in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).

Obejectives

Our main objective are to quickly investigate the spatial distribution of beneficial materials which are expected to be utilized in the near future on the Moon, where will be developed a large-scale, and build a foundation for the lunar future business. Considering the difficulties/failures of past drilling experiments on the Moon and Mars, it is unlikely to obtain materials by drilling to the deep depths on the Moon and they cannot be considered as resources. In addition, it should be energetically advantageous to obtain beneficial materials near the surface without excavating them as much as possible. Therefore, the TSUKIMI project focuses on information about material distribution up to about 20-30cm, which can be realistically drilled or cut.

The TSUKIMI mission has two objectives: business and science：
Business objective：investigate the spatial distribution of beneficial materials that are expected to be utilized in the near future large-scale development of the moon, and to build a foundation for future business
Scientific objective：clarify the physical and chemical heterogeneity near the lunar surface and gain knowledge about the physical and chemical evolution of regolith

To achieve these objectives, we have established the following business and scientific purposes:

1. Investigate the spatial distribution of useful materials expected to be utilized on the moon

1.1 Clarify promising areas where ice and other energy sources can be utilized in the early stages of lunar development
1.2 Determine if there is chemical heterogeneity in the regolith in areas where lunar development is expected in the early stages

2. Gain knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of lunar regolith that lead to moon development.

2.1 Understand the temperature distribution in promising areas for lunar development in the early stages.

2.2 Obtain knowledge about the mechanical characteristics of the areas expected to be utilized in the early stages of lunar development.

Team

The comprehensive approach combining engineering and sciences is necessary. Then, a research team has been formed, consisting of domestic research institutions, universities, and private companies, having various background. In addition to the principal investigators, researchers, practitioners, and students from both domestic and international backgrounds are involved in our project, closely related to the Lunar Resources Consortium.

Principal Investigator (PI)：Yasuko Kasai (NICT)
Co-Investigator：Hideaki Miyamoto (University of Tokyo)
Co-Investigator：Hiroyuki Maezawa (Osaka Metropolitan University)
Co-Investigator：Toshiyuki Nishibori (JAXA)
Co-Investigator：Takuma Tedrada (Space-BD)

Report abuse