Lunar Pit Exploration and Mapping via Autonomous Micro-Rover

Lunar pits are windows to great unknowns beneath the surface of the Moon. The steep pit walls expose a vertical cross-section of stratified lunar crust, a natural historical record of the Moon's formation. The shadowed pit floors conceal possible entrances to caves or lava tube networks where astronauts might shelter from the hazards of the lunar surface. While orbital imagery has led to the discovery of more than 200 lunar pits, surface exploration is needed to capture the close-range, long exposures required to address questions of lunar formation and habitation. We envision an autonomous micro-rover for rapid surface exploration and in situ modeling of a lunar pit. We survey the specific autonomy, mapping, and roving technologies required, and we demonstrate the accuracy and coverage achievable by pit modeling in an evaluation performed at a terrestrial pit.