Lunar Site Development of the Marius Hills Skylight: LEAP2 is a commercial lunar settlement program that addresses space architecture issues in lunar exploration, economic development, mining, and sustainment at a specific lunar site identified as the Marius Hills Skylight. Projects within the LEAP2 program address various technology solutions and missions for achieving multi-generational program goals to develop the site for human settlement.

1. Lunar Ecosystem and Architectural Prototype (LEAP2)
Lunar Site Development of the Marius Hills Skylight
Samuel W. Ximenes, XArc Exploration Architecture Corporation, 112 E. Pecan, 10th Floor, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA, sximenes@explorationarchitecture.com,
Edward L. Patrick, Space Science and Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238. epatrick@swri.edu.
LEAP2 is a commercial lunar settlement program that addresses space architecture issues in lunar exploration, economic development, mining, and sustainment at a
specific lunar site identified as the Marius Hills Skylight. Projects within the LEAP2 program address various technology solutions and missions for achieving multigenerational program goals to develop the site for human settlement.
Marius Hills Skylight is a large
deep pit formed from a lava tube
ceiling collapse. The entrance to
a lava tube cave is indicated by a
large overhang at the pit’s
northeast side. Mineral resources
in the surrounding area have
been postulated for surface
mining. The potential for long
term habitation and settlement
within the protection of the lava
tube form the basis for economic
development of the site.
Marius Hills Sklight
Click image
to view video
Ancient lava flows at Marius Hills volcanic complex (Oceanus Procellarum region)
Skylight located at 14.09 deg N. Lat, 303.23 deg E. Long.
Skylight pit opening ~48m x 57m wide x 45m deep
(LROC images NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
Sense of scale comparable to
largest discovered earth cave
RECONNAISSANCE
REMOTE SENSING
LEAP2 CURRENT PROJECT ACTIVITY AREAS FOR HUMAN SETTLEMENT OF THE MARIUS HILLS SKYLIGHT
LEAP2 remote sensing goals are to
conduct measurements for
understanding the regional geology,
topographical and morphological
characterization, and distribution of
potential mineral resources for
mining. Characterization of the pit,
slopes, and landforms is crucial for
determining field traverses and
approach routes to the skylight.
Remote Sensing: 2009 – 2018
Science Robotic Reconnaissance Missions: 2018 - 2020
Human and Robotic Reconnaisance: 2020 - 2025
The LEAP2 approach for “first
contact” with the site adheres to
the need to probe the inherent
science, preserve the fidelity of
that science, work within the
intent of the planetary protection
protocols, and also work toward
long-term monitoring prior to the
necessary development of the
lunar environment.
LEAP2 Provides Community Opportunities for
Collaborative STEM Education Projects
Project Areas
Platform deployment and
zipline cable management
Robotics camp for telescoping mast or tight-rope walking robots and drop lines
Settlement Construction Begins: 2050 +
Robotic trolleys and mast
Construct scaled Lunar terrain models (model making and 3D printing)
Terrain modeling
Experiment with line throwing equipment for trajectories and targeting
Harpoon and Cannon
Visualization of settlement concepts, drawing, sketching, 3D CAD modeling, 3D printing
New commercial lander development program; dedicated mission specific lander
Habitation: Inflatable’s
Lander with mobile robotic platform as payload (platform offloads from lander for traverse to cliff edge)
Adapted Lander
NASA
Design and construct inflatable structures
Integrated Lander with mobility traversing capability (for positioning at cliff edge)
Lander w/ Rover
Platform
Setttlement Phase: Latter Part of the 21st Century
Habitation: Long Range
Concepts for Settlement
Trades
Lander Rover
NASA MSFC Mighty Eagle
Lunar Lander prototype
Sample Student Team Consulting Projects
Test Site: Design and construct a zipline test site either outdoors full scale or indoors partial scale
Lunar Lander/Rover Zipline Platform Trades to be Performed
New Lander
Long Duration Stay Outpost: 2025 - 2050
STEM EDUCATION
One of the first challenges for
reconnaissance at the Marius Hills
Skylight is getting instruments,
payloads and eventually
astronauts down the pit hole and
then back out in an unobtrusive
manner which maintains integrity
of the initial pristine site for science
investigations. LEAP2 is
developing a robotic concept for a
grappling and anchoring platform
to enable offloading of instruments
and payloads for access to
subsurface features in planetary
cave exploration. Subsystem
architecture elements are
comprised of a transport platform,
harpoon system, deployable mast,
intelligent zipline, trolleys, and
resources subsystems.
Options
HABITATION
Reconnaissance platform systems designed to meet payload accommodations of current NASA lander
development programs, i.e., Mighty Eagle, Morpheus, or other commercial lander development program
Lander Rover
Modifications for integrated Lander with mobility traversing capability (for positioning at cliff edge)
Lander w/ Rover
Platform
Modifications for Lander with mobile robotic platform as payload (platform offloads from lander for
traverse to cliff edge)
Workshop on Golden Spike Human Lunar Expeditions, October 3 – 4, 2013, Houston, TX (Abstract #6015)
LEAP2 investigating techniques and
advanced materials technology to enclose
lunar pit under pressurized dome
Proposed Test Site for Student Zipline Robotics Projects