The Beagle Science Package is a flight qualified set of instruments which should be deployed to the lunar surface to answer the questions about water and volatiles present in permanently shadowed regions and/or beneath the surface

Gibson, E. K.

McKay, D. S.

Pillinger, C. T.

Richter, L.

Sims, M. R.

Wright, I. P.

English

NASA has announced the selection of several Lunar Science Sortie Concept Studies for potential scientific payloads with future Lunar Missions. The Beagle 2 scientific package was one of those chosen for study. Near the beginning of the next decade will see the launch of scientific payloads to the lunar surface to begin laying the foundations for the return to the moon in the Vision for Space Exploration. Shortly thereafter, astronauts will return to the lunar surface with the ability to place scientific packages on the surface that will provide information about lunar resources and compositions of materials in permanently shadowed regions of the moon (1). One of the important questions which must be answered early in the program is whether there are lunar resources which would facilitate "living off the land" and not require the transport of resources and consumables from Earth (2). The Beagle science package developed to seek the signatures of life on Mars is the ideal payload (3) to use on the lunar surface for determining the nature of hydrogen, water and lunar volatiles found in the polar regions which could support the Vision for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server

BEAGLE 2 THE MOON:  AN EXPERIMENTAL PACKAGE TO MEASURE POLAR ICE AND VOLATILES 
IN PERMANENTLY SHADOWED AREAS OR BENEATH THE LUNAR SURFACE 
E.K.  Gibson
1
, D.S. McKay
1
, C.T. Pillinger
2
, I.P. Wright
2
, M.R. Sims
3
 and L. Richter
4
.  
1
KR, ARES, NASA Johnson 
Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, 
2
Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, The Open University, Milton 
Keynes MK7 6AA, UK,   
3
Dept. of Space Sciences, Leicester University, Leceister, UK and 
4
Institute for Space 
Sciences, DLR, Bremen, Germany. [everett.k.gibson@nasa.gov] 
 
NASA has announced the selection of 
several Lunar Science Sortie Concept Studies for 
potential scientific payloads with future Lunar 
Missions.  The Beagle 2 scientific package was 
one of those chosen for study.  Near the beginning 
of the next decade will see the launch of scientific 
payloads to the lunar surface to begin laying the 
foundations for the return to the moon in the Vi-
sion for Space Exploration.  Shortly thereafter, 
astronauts will return to the lunar surface with the 
ability to place scientific packages on the surface 
that will provide information about lunar re-
sources and compositions of materials in perma-
nently shadowed regions of the moon (1).  One of 
the important questions which must be answered 
early in the program is whether there are lunar 
resources which would facilitate “living off the 
land” and not require the transport of resources 
and consumables from Earth (2). The Beagle sci-
ence package developed to seek the signatures of 
life on Mars is the ideal payload (3) to use on the 
lunar surface for determining the nature of hydro-
gen, water and lunar volatiles found in the polar 
regions which could support the Vision for Space 
Exploration.  
Beagle packages can operate with mini-
mal human interaction or completely autono-
mously on the lunar surface. This system is 
analogous to the ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface 
Experiment Packages) instruments used on the 
Apollo missions. The adaptation for sortie mis-
sions of scientific payloads developed for other 
planetary missions, such as the Beagle 2 science 
payload, has the major advantage of having al-
ready established resource requirements (i.e. 
mass, power and data transmission rates) and 
costs (3). A lunar modification should only de-
crease these requirements because of the elimina-
tion of the entry aeroshell, the vacuum system and 
possibly other components that are unnecessary in 
more controlled landing scenarios. 
The Beagle 2 payload was designed to 
operate on the Martian surface in a completely 
autonomous manner (3).  Once deployed on the 
lunar surface, it would require minimal crew in-
teraction.  Its size also allows for inclusion with a 
lunar rover mission. The key instruments include 
a magnetic sector mass spectrometer to analyze 
volatile species [H, D/H, water abundances and 
other potential carbon containing molecules (hy-
drocarbons?) (4,5) trapped in cold regions of the 
moon], instruments for assessing elemental com-
position of the lunar soils and rocks, and a range 
of spectrometers capable of fully determining 
rock and soil mineralogy.  The Gas Analysis 
Package (GAP) instrument suite (Fig. 1) was the 
most sophisticated mass spectrometer ever sent to 
Mars or the moon, and the first with a real chance 
of documenting isotopic biosignatures in the soil 
and rock record.  Application of the Beagle tech-
nology to answering the lunar hydrogen and H2O 
question seems obvious.  With the presence of a 
vacuum on the moon, operation of the Gas Analy-
sis Package and the mass spectrometer should be 
facilitated and the payload should be able to be 
reduced in mass and power requirements signifi-
cantly from the baseline Martian design.  
Best of all, the Beagle instrument pack-
age has already been designed, built, extensively 
tested in the laboratory, and flight qualified for 
the mission to Mars.  Extensive testing already 
done on Earth can be used for evaluation of the 
Beagle concept applied to the moon.  
 One of the key goals of the Human Ex-
ploration Program and the Vision for Space Ex-
ploration is to return to the moon and have lunar 
surface activities that consist of a balance of sci-
ence, resource utilization, and “Mars-forward” 
technology and operational demonstrations.  
Utilization of the technology developed for the 
Beagle 2 spacecraft fits perfectly into the goals 
outlined.  The instrumentation onboard the Beagle 
2 spacecraft with its Gas Analysis Package (GAP) 
and Position Adjustable Workstation (PAW) 
sampling arm can provide answers to the science 
(for example in situ noble gas exposure ages) and 
resource questions (3).  The primary Beagle 2 
sampling device (MOLE) can obtain subsurface 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20080013416 2019-08-30T04:13:01+00:00Z
Beagle 2 the Moon: Gibson et al. 
 
samples as deep as two meters and would be ideal 
for seeking out subsurface ices (3).  The Gas 
Analysis Package can provide answers to the 
questions of concentrations of hydrogen (5) in the 
lunar polar regions, possible ice concentrations 
beneath the surface in polar regions (1), and pro-
vide direct abundances and isotopic composi-
tional measurements of any trapped meteoroid or 
cometary volatiles in the permanently shadowed 
regions (3). Isotopic compositions of the hydro-
gen will assist in the identification of the origin of 
the hydrogen (possibly from the solar wind or 
cometary).  These measurements will provide 
keystone data points which can be utilized in an-
swering the lunar resource availability question 
and assist in the planning for “living off the land 
concepts” (2).  
The Beagle GAP with its mass spec-
trometer and sample arm, either as a self con-
tained ALSEP-like package or a small payload for 
utilization on a lunar rover, offers the most viable 
option for determining whether the polar regions 
contain H2O in either chemically bound water or 
as ice in permanently shadowed regions or be-
neath the surface.  The payload is currently under 
study as to whether it could provide vital informa-
tion which would allow the go ahead for develop-
ing a lunar payload for use in the future landed 
payloads or with lunar rover missions.   
The potential of Beagle 2 for NASA’s fu-
ture Moon exploration activities has been recog-
nised by its selection, through a peer review proc-
ess, for concept studies as part of the NASA lunar 
sortie science opportunity concept study.  Beagle 
2 enjoys support from a consortium of university 
and industrial partners: Aberystwyth, Birkbeck, 
EADS-Astrium, DLR, JSC Houston, Leicester, 
MSSL, Open University (PSSRI + Earth Sciences 
+ Chemistry), Rutherford Atomic Laboratories, 
Roke Manor, SEA, SSSL, SSTL with others, in-
cluding US groups, under consideration. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
References:   
[1] Arnold, J.R.,(1979) JGR, 84, 5659-5667.  [2] Schmitt 
H.H., et.al. (2000) SPACE 2000, 7
th
 International Conf. and 
Exposition on Engineering, Construction, Operations, and 
Business in Space, Albuquerque, NM.  Proceedings pp. 653-
660.  [3] Pillinger C.T. (2003), The Guide to Beagle 2, The 
Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. 222 p.  [4] Gibson 
E.K., Jr. and Chang S.(1992): Exobiology in Solar System 
Exploration  28-43,  NASA SP-512.  [5] Bustin R. and Gib-
son E.K. (1992) 2nd Conf. of Lunar Bases and Space Activi-
ties of the 21
st
 Century. NASA Conference Publication 3166, 
Vol 2.  437-445.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fig. 1.   Gas Analysis Package from Beagle.  Pen 
length is 14.5 cm (6 inches). 


Beagle 2 the Moon: An Experimental Package to Measure Polar Ice and Volatiles in Permanently Shadowed Areas or Beneath the Lunar Surface

Open Research Online (The Open University)

Open Research OnlineThe Open University’s repository of research publicationsand other research outputsBeagle to the Moon: nn experiment package tomeasure polar ice and volatiles in permanentlyshadowed areas or beneath the lunar surfaceConference or Workshop ItemHow to cite:Gibson, E. K.; McKay, D. S.; Pillinger, C. T.; Wright, I. P.; Sims, M. R. and Richter, L. (2007). Beagle tothe Moon: nn experiment package to measure polar ice and volatiles in permanently shadowed areas or beneath thelunar surface. In: 38th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 12-16 Mar 2007, League City, Texas, USA.For guidance on citations see FAQs.c© [not recorded]Version: [not recorded]Link(s) to article on publisher’s website:http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2007/pdf/1306.pdfCopyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyrightowners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policiespage.oro.open.ac.ukBEAGLE TO THE MOON: AN EXPERIMENT PACKAGE TO MEASURE POLAR ICE AND VOLATILES IN PERMANENTLY SHADOWED AREAS OR BENEATH THE LUNAR SURFACE E.K. Gibson, Jr.1, D.S. McKay1, C.T. Pillinger2, I.P. Wright2, M.R. Sims3 and L. Richter4.  1KR, ARES, NASA JSC, Houston TX 77058, 2Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, U.K., 3Dept. of Space Sciences, Leicester Univ., Leceister, U.K. and 4Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfarht, DLR, Cologne, Germany.  Introduction: Near the beginning of the next decade we will see the launch of scientific payloads to the lunar surface to begin laying the foundations for the return to the moon in the Vi-sion for Space Exploration.  Shortly thereafter, astronauts will return to the lunar surface and have the ability to place scientific packages on the surface that will provide information about lunar resources and compositions of materials in per-manently shadowed regions of the moon [1].  One of the important questions which must be an-swered early in the program is whether there are lunar resources which would facilitate “living off the land” and not require the transport of re-sources and consumables from Earth [2]. The Beagle science package is the ideal payload [3] to use on the lunar surface for determining the na-ture of hydrogen, water and lunar volatiles found in the polar regions which could support the Vi-sion for Space Exploration (Fig. 1).    Figure 1.  Beagle Lander Deployed   The Beagle packages can operate with minimal human interaction or completely autono-mously on the lunar surface. This system is analo-gous to the ALSEP instruments used on the Apollo missions. The adaptation for Sortie mis-sions of scientific payloads developed for other planetary missions, such as the Beagle 2 science payload, has the major advantage of having al-ready established resource requirements, includ-ing mass, power and data transmission capabili-ties and cost [3]. A lunar modification should only decrease these requirements because of the elimination of the entry aeroshell, the vacuum system and possibly other components that are unnecessary in more controlled landing scenarios. The Beagle 2 payload was designed to operate on the Martian surface in a completely autonomous manner [3].  Once deployed on the lunar surface, it would require minimal crew in-teraction.  Its size also allows for inclusion with a lunar rover mission. The key instruments include a magnetic sector mass spectrometer to analyze volatile species (H, D/H, water abundances and other potential carbon containing molecules (hy-drocarbons?) [4,5] trapped in cold regions of the moon), instruments for assessing elemental com-position of the lunar soils and rocks, and a range of spectrometers capable of fully determining rock and soil mineralogy.  The Gas Analysis Package (GAP) instrument suite was the most sophisticated mass spectrometer ever sent to Mars or the moon, and the first with a real chance of documenting isotopic biosignatures in the soil and rock record.  Application of the Beagle technol-ogy to answering the lunar hydrogen and H2O question seems obvious.  With the presence of a vacuum on the moon, operation of the Gas Analy-sis Package and the mass spectrometer should be facilitated and the payload should be able to be reduced in mass and power requirements signifi-cantly from the baseline Martian design.  Best of all, the Beagle instrument pack-age has already been designed, built, extensively tested in the laboratory, and flight qualified for the mission to Mars.  Extensive testing already done on Earth can be used for evaluation of the Beagle concept applied to the moon.  Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVIII (2007) 1306.pdfOne of the key goals of the Human Ex-ploration Program and the Vision for Space Ex-ploration is to return to the moon and have lunar surface activities that consist of a balance of sci-ence, resource utilization, and “Mars-forward” technology and operational demonstrations.  The utilization of the technology developed for the Beagle 2 spacecraft fits perfectly into the goals outlined, (see Fig. 2).  The instrumentation on-board the Beagle 2 spacecraft with its Gas Analy-sis Package (GAP) and Position Adjustable Workstation (PAW) sampling arm can provide answers to the science (for example in situ noble gas exposure ages) and resource questions [3].  The primary Beagle 2 sampling device (MOLE) can obtain subsurface samples as deep as two me-ters and would be ideal for seeking out subsurface ices [3].  The Gas Analysis Package can provide answers to the questions of concentrations of hy-drogen (5) in the lunar polar regions, possible ice concentrations beneath the surface in polar re-gions (1), and provide direct abundances and iso-topic compositional measurements of any trapped meteoroid or cometary volatiles in the perma-nently shadowed regions (3). Isotopic composi-tions of the hydrogen will assist in the identifica-tion of the origin of the hydrogen (possibly from the solar wind?).    Figure 2.  Beagle Lunar Science Objectives and Program  These measurements will provide key-stone data points which can be utilized in answer-ing the lunar resource availability question and assist in the planning for “living off the land con-cepts” (2).  The Beagle GAP with its mass spec-trometer and sample arm, either as a self con-tained ALSEP-like package or a small payload for utilization on a lunar rover, offers the most viable option for determining whether the polar regions contain H2O in either chemically bound water or as ice in permanently shadowed regions or be-neath the surface.  The payload is currently under study as to whether it could provide vital informa-tion which would allow the go ahead for develop-ing a lunar payload for use in the 2009/2011 landed payload or the 2011/2013 lunar rover mis-sion recently proposed.    References: [1] Arnold, J.R.,(1979) JGR, 84, 5659-5667. [2] Schmitt H.H., et.al. (2000) SPACE 2000, 7th Interna-tional Conf. and Exposition on Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Business in Space, Albuquerque, NM.  Pro-ceedings pp. 653-660. [3] Pillinger C.T. (2003), The Guide to Beagle 2, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. 222 p. [4] Gibson E.K., Jr. and Chang S.(1992): Exobiology in So-lar System Exploration  28-43,  NASA SP-512.[5] Bustin R. and Gibson E.K. (1992) 2nd Conf. of Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century. NASA Conference Publication 3166, Vol 2.  437-445.    Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVIII (2007) 1306.pdf

Beagle to the Moon: nn experiment package to measure polar ice and volatiles in permanently shadowed areas or beneath the lunar surface

Near the beginning of the next decade we will see the launch of scientific payloads to the lunar surface to begin laying the foundations for the return to the moon in the Vision for Space Exploration. Shortly thereafter, astronauts will return to the lunar surface and have the ability to place scientific packages on the surface that will provide information about lunar resources and compositions of materials in permanently shadowed regions of the moon (1). One of the important questions which must be answered early in the program is whether there are lunar resources which would facilitate "living off the land" and not require the transport of resources and consumables from Earth (2). The Beagle science package is the ideal payload (3) to use on the lunar surface for determining the nature of hydrogen, water and lunar volatiles found in the polar regions which could support the Vision for Space Exploratio

Beagle to the Moon:  An experiment package to measure polar ice and volatiles in  
permanently shadowed areas or beneath the lunar surface.  E.K.  Gibson1, D.S. McKay1, C.T. 
Pillinger2, I.P. Wright2, M.R. Sims3 and L. Richter4.  1KR, ARES, NASA Johnson Space Center, 
Houston, TX 77058, 2Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, The Open University, 
Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK,   3Dept. of Space Sciences, Leicester University, Leceister, UK 
and 4Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfarht, DLR Cologne, Germany. 
 
Near the beginning of the next decade we will see the launch of scientific payloads to the lunar 
surface to begin laying the foundations for the return to the moon in the Vision for Space Exploration.  
Shortly thereafter, astronauts will return to the lunar surface and have the ability to place scientific 
packages on the surface that will provide information about lunar resources and compositions of materials 
in permanently shadowed regions of the moon (1).  One of the important questions which must be 
answered early in the program is whether there are lunar resources which would facilitate “living off the 
land” and not require the transport of resources and consumables from Earth (2). The Beagle science 
package is the ideal payload (3) to use on the lunar surface for determining the nature of hydrogen, water 
and lunar volatiles found in the polar regions which could support the Vision for Space Exploration (Fig. 
1).  
 
 
Figure 1: Beagle Lander Deployed  
 
The Beagle packages can operate with 
minimal human interaction or completely 
autonomously on the lunar surface. This 
system is analogous to the ALSEP 
instruments used on the Apollo missions. 
The adaptation for Sortie missions of 
scientific payloads developed for other 
planetary missions, such as the Beagle 2 
science payload, has the major advantage 
of having already established resource 
requirements, including mass, power and 
data transmission capabilities and cost (3). 
A lunar modification should only decrease 
these requirements because of the 
elimination of the entry aeroshell, the 
vacuum system and possibly other components that are unnecessary in more controlled landing scenarios. 
The Beagle 2 payload was designed to operate on the Martian surface in a completely autonomous 
manner (3).  Once deployed on the lunar surface, it would require minimal crew interaction.  Its size also 
allows for inclusion with a lunar rover mission. The key instruments include a magnetic sector mass 
spectrometer to analyze volatile species (H, D/H, water abundances and other potential carbon containing 
molecules (hydrocarbons?) (4,5) trapped in cold regions of the moon), instruments for assessing elemental 
composition of the lunar soils and rocks, and a range of spectrometers capable of fully determining rock 
and soil mineralogy.  The Gas Analysis Package (GAP) instrument suite was the most sophisticated mass 
spectrometer ever sent to Mars or the moon, and the first with a real chance of documenting isotopic 
biosignatures in the soil and rock record.  Application of the Beagle technology to answering the lunar 
hydrogen and H2O question seems obvious.  With the presence of a vacuum on the moon, operation of the 
Gas Analysis Package and the mass spectrometer should be facilitated and the payload should be able to be 
reduced in mass and power requirements significantly from the baseline Martian design.  
Best of all, the Beagle instrument package has already been designed, built, extensively tested in 
the laboratory, and flight qualified for the mission to Mars.  Extensive testing already done on Earth can be 
used for evaluation of the Beagle concept applied to the moon.  
 One of the key goals of the Human Exploration Program and the Vision for Space Exploration is 
to return to the moon and have lunar surface activities that consist of a balance of science, resource 
utilization, and “Mars-forward” technology and operational demonstrations.  The utilization of the 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20070009926 2019-08-30T00:27:55+00:00Z
technology developed for the Beagle 2 spacecraft fits perfectly into the goals outlined, (see figure 2).  The 
instrumentation onboard the Beagle 2 spacecraft with its Gas Analysis Package (GAP) and Position 
Adjustable Workstation (PAW) sampling arm can provide answers to the science (for example in situ noble 
gas exposure ages) and resource questions (3).  The primary Beagle 2 sampling device (MOLE) can obtain 
subsurface samples as deep as two meters and would be ideal for seeking out subsurface ices (3).  The Gas 
Analysis Package can provide answers to the questions of concentrations of hydrogen (5) in the lunar polar 
regions, possible ice concentrations beneath the surface in polar regions (1), and provide direct abundances 
and isotopic compositional measurements of any trapped meteoroid or cometary volatiles in the 
permanently shadowed regions (3). Isotopic compositions of the hydrogen will assist in the identification of 
the origin of the hydrogen (possibly from the solar wind?).  These measurements will provide keystone data 
points which can be utilized in answering the lunar resource availability question and assist in the planning 
for “living off the land concepts” (2).  
The Beagle GAP with its mass spectrometer and sample arm, either as a self contained ALSEP-
like package or a small payload for utilization on a lunar rover, offers the most viable option for 
determining whether the polar regions contain H2O in either chemically bound water or as ice in 
permanently shadowed regions or beneath the surface.  The payload is currently under study as to whether 
it could provide vital information which would allow the go ahead for developing a lunar payload for use in 
the 2009/2011 landed payload or the 2011/2013 lunar rover mission recently proposed. 
 
Figure 2:  Beagle Lunar Science 
Objectives and Program 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
References:   
 
(1) Arnold, J.R.,(1979) JGR, 84, 5659-5667. 
(2) Schmitt H.H., et.al. (2000) SPACE 2000, 7th International Conf. and Exposition on Engineering, 
Construction, Operations, and Business in Space, Albuquerque, NM.  Proceedings pp. 653-660.  
(3) Pillinger C.T. (2003), The Guide to Beagle 2, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. 222 p. 
(4) Gibson E.K., Jr. and Chang S.(1992): Exobiology in Solar System Exploration  28-43,  NASA SP-512. 
(5) Bustin R. and Gibson E.K. (1992) 2nd Conf. of Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century. 
NASA Conference Publication 3166, Vol 2.  437-445.  
 


Beagle to the Moon: nn experiment package to measure polar ice and volatiles in permanently shadowed areas or beneath the lunar surface

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