Neutron Spectrometer Prospecting during the Mojave Volatiles Project Analog Field Test

Introduction: We know there are volatiles sequestered at the poles of the Moon [1,2]. While we have evidence of water ice and a number of other compounds based on remote sensing, the detailed distribution, and physical and chemical form are largely unknown. Additional orbital studies of lunar polar volatiles may yield further insights, but the most important next step is to use landed assets to fully characterize the volatile composition and distribution at scales of tens to hundreds of meters. To achieve this range of scales, mobility is needed. Because of the proximity of the Moon, near realtime operation of the surface assets is possible, with an associated reduction in risk and cost. This concept of operations is very different from that of rovers on Mars, and new operational approaches are required to carry out such realtime robotic exploration. The Mojave Volatiles Project (MVP) is a MoonMars Analog Mission Activities (MMAMA) program effort aimed at (1) determining effective approaches to operating a realtime but short-duration lunar surface robotic mission, and (2) performing prospecting science in a natural setting, as a test of these approaches. Here we describe some results from the first such test, carried out in the Mojave Desert between 16 and 24 October, 2014. The test site was an alluvial fan just E of the Soda Mountains, SW of Baker, California. This site contains desert pavements, ranging from the late Pleistocene to early-Holocene in age, as shown in Figure 1. These pavements are undergoing dissection by the ongoing development of washes. A principal objective was to determine the hydration state of different types of desert pavement and bare ground features [3]. The mobility element of the test was provided by the KREX-2 rover, designed and operated by the Intelligent Robotics Group at NASA Ames Research Center. The MVP project was described by [4]. MVP Field Test Setup and Instruments: The MVP field test consisted of two operations centers: the Ames Science Operations Center (ASOC) at Moffett Field and the Mojave Remote Operations Center (MROC) at the field site. The ASOC was responsible for assessment of realtime telemetry, traverse planning,