Problems with using ATHLETE robot for a mobile lunar base
I was reading an article about the ATHLETE robot this morning, and it gave me pause to think about some of the challenges manned lunar missions will need to take into consideration.
The ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) robot could play an essential role in new lunar bases.
According to NASA, the 15 ton lunar habitat would be mounted on top of the six-legged robot. The habitat could walk right off of the lunar lander, and then proceed to any desired location. Wheeled locomotion would be used for level ground; more challenging terrain could be negotiated with the full use of the flexible legs.
The ATHLETE-based habitat could then be controlled directly by astronauts; mission control could also direct the habitat from Earth. My favorite alternative, an autonomous robot habitat, is also slated for testing. It would use software developed for the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
The robot habitat would move around using power drawn from solar arrays; the maximum speed is about 10 km/hour. Although this seems slow, remember that the Moon's circumference is just 11,000 kilometers (compared to Earth's circumference of 40,000 km). Astronauts would live a nomadic existence, covering much more of the lunar surface.
The most significant problem I can see from this is solar arrays. The moon is constantly bombarded by a micrometeorite shower, with tiny flecks of metal and stone continuously bombarding the surface at speeds of 75 km/s. This is not a friendly environment for solar arrays. It's closer to the inside of a sand-blasting chamber, only with less sand traveling much more quickly. Over time, the solar arrays will be scarred and eroded, which will impact their performance.
While we're investing billions of dollars into robotics, why don't we float $10 million over to the dense boron-hydrogen plasma focus fusion project and revolutionize power production and propulsion systems? The robots will need to be fed.
Other significant problems include the high amounts of cosmic radiation the habitat will encounter--the moon is not your friend. Inhabitants will require a permanent structure, very likely one buried beneath the lunar regolith, in order to survive for any useful amount of time. A machine like ATHLETE would make a better exploration and utility vehicle for carrying fuel cells, regolithic samples, and passengers. It could be kept and maintained in a hangar between outings.
Still, I like to see this sort of work being done. JAXA and NASA have a bright future on Luna, if they want it. If not, perhaps Google.