Cooke, William

Fassett, Caleb

Kring, David

Moser, Danielle

Neal, Clive

Needham, Debra

Suggs, Robert

NASA Technical Reports Server

DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP 
FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018 • DENVER, CO
Impact Flash Monitoring Facility on the Deep Space Gateway
February 27, 2018
Debra Needham, Research Scientist, NASA/MSFC1, 
with Danielle Moser1, Robert Suggs1, William Cooke1, David Kring2, Clive Neal3, and Caleb Fassett1; 2CLSE/LPI/USRA/NASA JSC; 3University of Notre Dame
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20180001584 2019-08-30T13:12:40+00:00Z
Instrument Function Statement and Gateway Usage 
2
STATEMENT INSTRUMENT/CONCEPT DETAILS
FUNCTION STATEMENT Leveraging existing expertise at MSFC, we propose an impact flash 
monitoring facility mounted to the Gateway exterior to constrain the 
contemporary impact flux at the Moon. 
This system requires a pointing platform and either two independent 
optical systems or one optical system with a beamsplitter feeding two 
cameras to eliminate false detections from cosmic ray effects. A 
dichroic beamsplitter would allow simultaneous measurements in two 
colors, yielding impact temperature in addition to flash detection.
WHY IS THE GATEWAY OPTIMAL FOR 
THIS INSTRUMENT/RESEARCH? 
Aboard the Gateway, this facility will vastly expand the coverage of 
similar observations made from Earth by exploiting continuous 
cloudless viewing conditions, increase the number of detected flash 
events, enable detection of much dimmer flash events (e.g., smaller, 
less energetic impacts), and expand detection coverage to include 
the lunar farside.  The longevity of observations facilitated by the 
Gateway will enhance detections of shower and sporadic impact 
events and improve our assessments of the impact flux, seismic 
sources, and hazards to crew in cislunar space.
DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
Before (February 12, 2012) and after (July 28, 2013) images of the new 
crater formed during the impact flash event of March 17, 2013
March 17, 2013 impact flash detected by the MSFC Meteoroid Environment 
Office Lunar Impact Monitoring Program from Earth.
Instrument Function Statement and Gateway Usage 
3
DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
Map of 400+ detections 
MSFC has recorded over 
the course of 12 years.
Observing facility at MSFC, operational 
from May 2006-present: Two 
observatory domes, a 15 meter (50 ft) 
tower with a roll-off roof, and an 
operations center with laboratory space. 
Instrument Function Statement and Gateway Usage 
4
STATEMENT INSTRUMENT/CONCEPT DETAILS
FUNCTION STATEMENT Leveraging existing expertise at MSFC, we propose an impact flash 
monitoring facility mounted to the Gateway exterior to constrain the 
contemporary impact flux at the Moon. 
This system requires a pointing platform and either two independent 
optical systems or one optical system with a beamsplitter feeding two 
cameras to eliminate false detections from cosmic ray effects. A 
dichroic beamsplitter would allow simultaneous measurements in two 
colors, yielding impact temperature in addition to flash detection.
WHY IS THE GATEWAY OPTIMAL FOR 
THIS INSTRUMENT/RESEARCH? 
Aboard the Gateway, this facility will vastly expand the coverage of 
similar observations made from Earth by exploiting continuous 
cloudless viewing conditions, increase the number of detected flash 
events, enable detection of much dimmer flash events (e.g., smaller, 
less energetic impacts), and expand detection coverage to include 
the lunar farside.  The longevity of observations facilitated by the 
Gateway will enhance detections of shower and sporadic impact 
events and improve our assessments of the impact flux, seismic 
sources, and hazards to crew in cislunar space.
DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
Before (February 12, 2012) and after (July 28, 2013) images of the new 
crater formed during the impact flash event of March 17, 2013
March 17, 2013 impact flash detected by the MSFC Meteoroid Environment 
Office Lunar Impact Monitoring Program from Earth.
Basic Instrument Parameters
5
PARAMETER INSTRUMENT  ESTIMATE & ANY COMMENTS
MASS (KG) ~10 kg for cameras; 
VOLUME (M) ~0.2 m x 0.2 m x 0.1 m
POWER (W) Peak: ~9 W; Average ~5 W
THERMAL REQUIREMENTS ~ -30˚C to +70˚C for COTS, could be broader for custom space-rated cameras
DAILY DATA VOLUME ~120 images/day at 5 MB/image => 0.6 GB/day (assuming onboard flash detection)
CURRENT TRL Depending on camera system selected, TRL ranges from ~3 to 9
WAG COST & BASIS
DURATION OF EXPERIMENT Continuous
OTHER PARAMETERS
DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
Instrument Gateway Usage
6
USAGE INSTRUMENT REQUIREMENTS & COMMENTS
ORBIT CONSIDERATIONS Earth-Moon L2 ideal; any lunar-centric orbit will work but complexities may increase
FIELD OF VIEW REQUIREMENTS Moon in view during operation; maximizing lunar night views is preferable.
REQUIRES USE OF AIRLOCK Only for installation.
CREW INTERACTION REQUIRED? Only for installation.
WILL ASTRONAUT PRESENCE BE 
DISRUPTIVE? No
DOES THE INSTRUMENT PRESENT A RISK 
TO THE CREW No
OTHER CONSUMABLES REQUIRED None
SPECIAL SAMPLE HANDLING 
REQUIREMENTS None
NEED FOR TELEROBOTICS? Only for installation and maintenance.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF THE 
GATEWAY?
DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
References and Status of Work in this Field
• Suggs, R. M., Cooke, W. J., Suggs, R. J., Swift, W. R., and Hollon, N. (2008) The NASA Lunar 
Impact Monitoring Program.  Earth, Moon, and Planets, 102(1-4), 293-298.
• Suggs, R. M., Moser, D. E., Cooke, W. J., and Suggs, R. J. (2014) The flux of kilogram-sized 
meteoroids from lunar impact monitoring.  Icarus, 238, 23-36.
• Robinson, M. S., et al. (2015) New crater on the Moon and a swarm of secondaries.  Icarus, 252, 
229-235.
• Speyerer, E. J., Povilaitis, R. Z., Robinson, M. S., Thomas, P. C., and Wagner, R. V. (2016) 
Quantifying crater production and regolith overturn on the Moon with temporal imaging. Nature, 
538, 215-218.
• Bonanos, A. Z., et al. (2018) NELIOTA: First temperature measurement of lunar impact flashes.  
Astronomy and Astrophysics, DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201732109
• Ikari, S., et al. (2017) EQUULEUS: Mission to Earth – Moon Lagrange Point by a 6U Deep Space 
CubeSat.  Small Satellite Conference abstract.
– A similar facility is scheduled to fly on EM-1 (JAXA’s DEtection camera for Lunar impact 
PHenomena IN 6U Spacecraft, DELPHINUS, a part of EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U 
Spacecraft, EQUULEUS, 6 months operations)
7DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
Backup/Additional Information
8
DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
• Observing facilities: Observations are conducted at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, 
Alabama at the Automated Lunar and Meteor Observatory (ALaMO). 
– Operations from May 2006 – present.
– Two observatory domes, a 15 meter (50 ft) tower with a roll-off roof, and an operations center with 
laboratory space (right).
– A second observatory in 
Chickamauga, Georgia (Walker 
County) operated Sept 15, 2007 –
June 2011. The facility consisted of a 
ground level building with a roll-off 
roof. This observatory was run 
remotely from Marshall Space Flight 
Center. 
– A fourth 14 inch telescope operated 
at New Mexico Skies Observatory 
October 2011 – Sept 2012.
Backup/Additional Information
9
DEEP SPACE GATEWAY CONCEPT SCIENCE WORKSHOP | FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 1, 2018
• Lunar impact rate: On average, 33 metric tons (73,000 lbs) of meteoroids hit Earth every day, the vast 
majority of which ablates high in the atmosphere, never making it to the ground. The Moon, however, has 
little or no atmosphere, so meteoroids have nothing to stop them from striking the surface. 
– On average, MEO observes an impact flash on the Moon every 2 hours.
– The slowest of these rocks travels at 20 km/sec (45,000 mph); the fastest travels at over 72 km/sec 
(160,000 mph). At such speeds even a small meteoroid has incredible energy -- one with a mass of 
only 5 kg (10 lbs) can excavate a crater over 9 meters (30 ft) across, hurling 75 metric tons (165,000 
lbs) of lunar soil and rock on ballistic trajectories above the lunar surface.
– The lunar impact rate in this mass range is difficult to determine due to the large observational 
collecting area and long time-on-target required for adequate number statistics.
– Our current observing program is complete down to about 9th magnitude. The limiting magnitude of 
9.0 corresponds to a kinetic energy of 1.05×107 J (assuming luminous efficiency of 1.29×10-3 for a 
24 km/s impact).
– An orbiting system may be able to detect smaller impacts that produce dimmer flashes down to 11th
magnitude.


Impact Flash Monitoring Facility on the Deep Space Gateway

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