Prospecting for in situ resources on the Moon and Mars using wheel-based sensors

The Apollo and Russian missions during 1970s were reviewed to rediscover the type and distribution of minerals on the Moon. This study revealed that the Moon has a restricted set of minerals when compared with the Earth. Results from lunar minerals brought back to Earth, indicate that the Moon lacks water, hydroxyl ions, and carbon based minerals. This mineral set is probably incomplete and so is the motivation for prospecting for other minerals using wheel-base sensors. Our approach to prospecting utilizes a vehicle with sensors embedded in a wheel that allow measurements while the vehicle is in motion. Once a change in soil composition is detected, decision making software stops the vehicle and analytical instruments perform a more quantitative soil analysis. This paper discusses instrumentation and data derived from wheel-based sensors.