24/7 Space News
MOON DAILY
NASA to Study Effects of Radio Noise on Lunar Science
File illustration of Intuitive Machines' IM-1 landing. In February 2024, Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission will launch to the Moon's South Pole as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Among the NASA provided payloads will be an instrument called the Radio wave Observation at the Lunar Surface of the photo-Electron Sheath (ROLSES) designed to observe the Moon's surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there. See video here
NASA to Study Effects of Radio Noise on Lunar Science
by Nick Oakes for GSFC News
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Feb 02, 2024

In February 2024, Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission will launch to the Moon's South Polar region, as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, initiative. This mission is part of CLPS' ongoing effort to bring down the cost for science investigations and technology demonstrations going to the Moon and to make them more routine in the lead-up to the Artemis landings later this decade. Among the NASA-provided research flying aboard IM-1 will be an instrument designed to observe the Moon's surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there.

The instrument is called the Radio wave Observation at the Lunar Surface of the photo-Electron Sheath (ROLSES) and is designed to study the dynamic radio energy environment near the lunar surface. It will launch aboard Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander.

The ROLSES instrument project is headed up by Dr. Natchimuthuk "Nat" Gopalswamy of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Gopalswamy describes the design of ROLSES as being a very simple system. "We have four antennas which observe whatever radio emissions are present on the Moon [radio emissions are a type of light, or electromagnetic radiation, which have the longest wavelength, or distance between peaks in their energy waves]," said Gopalswamy. "These antennas are very long, about 8 feet (2.5 meters). But for launching they are packed into a small canister, about 8 inches (21 centimeters) in size."

The main purpose of ROLSES will be to account for the variety of radiation generated by cosmic phenomena, as well as by human activity on Earth. "There are varying sorts of radio emissions," said Gopalswamy. "These include activity on Earth that produces radio interference at the lunar surface. And then we have natural radio emissions, coming from Jupiter, coming from the Sun, even coming from our Milky Way galaxy. There is even an emission from Earth that is associated with the Aurora."

The trick, as Gopalswamy points out, is that each of these types of radio noise produces its own dynamic spectral pattern, somewhat similar to the way in which fingerprints are unique for each person. "The spectrum of each event looks different from the others," he said. "Therefore, it's easy for us to identify which is coming from Jupiter, or from the Sun, or from the galaxy, which is very low-frequency background radiation."

Another source of radio interference will be the lunar lander itself. "Landers obviously have mechanisms, motors and things; they all will produce some kind of radio emission, and that will also be recorded in the spectrum," said Gopalswamy. "And those will produce distinct features which show that there is interference going on at this particular location." By identifying this type of interference, scientists can work to sift through the noise it creates when analyzing data returned by instruments like ROLSES. That way, they can hone in on real data, and not "noise" created by non-natural processes.

The four ROLSES antennas are also mounted at two different heights, meaning that once they begin taking measurements, they can provide information on variations in the cloud of negatively charged electrons blasted from the lunar surface by sunlight, and how it changes between different heights. "This way, we can measure the electrons' density based upon distance from the surface," said Gopalswamy. "Then we can see how the number of electrons decreases as you go farther from the surface."

This information, he points out, will be essential when it comes time to design and build future lunar observatories, since the radio frequency interference from the electron cloud and from Earth-based radio transmitters will need to be accounted for.

These radio observations will help build what Gopalswamy calls a library of knowledge on the lunar environment. "That way we will know if we're at this latitude, at this height, we're going to have this type of radiation and emission background, and we'll be able to design our hardware accordingly." This will aid NASA in its mission to return humans to the Moon over the next decade and beyond, and to establish a sustainable, long-term presence.

ROLSES and IM-1 are part of the agency's CLPS initiative, which was developed with the goal of creating a lunar economy through commercial deliveries of NASA-provided payloads. With CLPS, private companies of varying sizes and backgrounds are responsible for designing the landers and procuring the launch vehicles, allowing NASA to focus its efforts on designing the instrument payloads. When the agency's Artemis program establishes a human presence on the Moon, the data gathered by instruments onboard CLPS flights will help astronauts conduct more lunar science.

Related Links
Commercial Lunar Payload Services
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
MOON DAILY
Advanced Space's CAPSTONE operating around Moon for 445 days
Westminster CO (SPX) Feb 02, 2024
Advanced Space, a leading space tech solutions company, is pleased to announce that CAPSTONE - the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment - continues to be "The Little Satellite That Could" as it flies near the Moon over 440 days. The spacecraft is conducting operations in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO); achieving record-long mission operational "up times;" conducting experiments that demonstrate its usefulness for position, navigation, and timing (PNT ... read more

MOON DAILY
Space Beach Law Lab: Shaping the Future of Space Law at Queen Mary Conference

Space Perspective secures investment for carbon-neutral space tourism

Axiom 3 astronauts undock from ISS for trip back to Earth

Virgin Galactic Marks 11th Spaceflight with Full Passenger Manifest

MOON DAILY
Britain's space capabilities boosted by Pulsar Fusion's latest engine test

Dream Chaser Spaceplane Undergoes Extreme Testing at NASA's Armstrong Facility

Shake, rattle and launch: Dream Chaser spaceplane passes vibration test

New Satellite Launch Marks a Milestone in China's Commercial Space Sector

MOON DAILY
A Drive With a View: Sols 4084-4085

Sols 4086-4088: Groundhog Day in Gale

Lake deposits in Idaho give scientists insight into ancient traces of life on Mars

Bright Rocks on the Horizon: An Exciting Glimpse of Uncharted Territory

MOON DAILY
Space Pioneer and LandSpace Lead China's Private Sector to New Heights in Space

BIT advances microbiological research on Chinese Space Station

Shenzhou 18 and 19 crews undertake intensive training for next missions

Tianzhou 6 burns up safely reentering Earth

MOON DAILY
Rocket Lab Boosts Capital with $355 Million in Convertible Senior Notes Amid Growth Plans

Sidus Space Enhances IP Portfolio with New Patent Application for Modular LizzieSat System

Terran Orbital announces agreement with Shareholder Group

Geespace achieves milestone in satellite constellation development for future mobility

MOON DAILY
Spaceborne Computer-2 sets new benchmark for AI and ML on ISS

Electron Rocket to Deploy Astroscale's Debris Inspection Satellite in Space Sustainability Effort

BlackStar Orbital to open new spacecraft manufacturing facility in Sierra Vista by 2026

Heritage ERS-2 satellite to reenter Earth's atmosphere

MOON DAILY
What Kind of World is LHS 1140b

Ice and fire: Antarctic volcano may hold clues to life on Mars

Carbon Monoxide Dynamics Offer New Insights into Exoplanet Habitability

Researchers spying for signs of life among exoplanet atmospheres

MOON DAILY
Europa Clipper gears up with full instrument suite onboard

New images reveal what Neptune and Uranus really look like

Researchers reveal true colors of Neptune, Uranus

The PI's Perspective: The Long Game

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.