Speaker
Description
This contribution presents enhancements and features of the lunar simulation environment for transient thermal analyses of moving ground systems. The basic version of this lunar simulation environment is revisited briefly, whose verification has been presented previously.
Especially for autonomous lunar rovers, an accurate prediction of heat fluxes and temperature evolution along a planned trajectory is essential, as it enables the incorporation of thermal considerations into path planning and operational decision-making.
The proposed framework integrates the local surrounding lunar surface into lunar topography data along a predefined trajectory. A thermal model of the environment is generated, including local surface features such as boulders. Transient thermal analyses are performed, considering the dynamically changing thermal conditions along the traverse. This facilitates a detailed prediction of heat fluxes and temperature distributions for both the moving ground system and the lunar surrounding.
Enhancements with respect to the basic version of the lunar simulation environment are e.g. identification of the local horizon for surface meshing, thermo-optical properties depending on the current region, statistical boulder placement, and the introduction of local surrounding topography.
The presented approach provides a foundation for thermally informed lunar mission planning and advanced thermal assessment of autonomous lunar rovers.