NASA Advances Lunar Exploration with Polar Ice Mining Experiment

NASA Advances Lunar Exploration with Polar Ice Mining Experiment
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 16, 2025

NASA's Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) is set to probe the Moon's subsurface, analyzing its composition and potential resources to support future lunar exploration. As part of the Artemis campaign, PRIME-1 will assess the Moon's soil and environmental conditions to aid in developing sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

The mission consists of two key instruments working in tandem: the Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains (TRIDENT) and the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO). TRIDENT will drill into the lunar regolith to extract samples, while MSOLO will analyze the gases released, offering insights into subsurface materials and conditions crucial for long-term lunar operations.

"The ability to drill and analyze samples at the same time allows us to gather insights that will shape the future of lunar resource utilization," said Jackie Quinn, PRIME-1 project manager at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Human exploration of the Moon and deep space will depend on making good use of local resources to produce life-sustaining supplies necessary to live and work on another planetary body."

PRIME-1 is one of NASA's payloads scheduled for delivery through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. It is expected to launch no earlier than Wednesday, Feb. 26, aboard Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar lander, targeting Mons Mouton, a plateau near the Moon's South Pole, for its exploration.

Developed by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company, TRIDENT is a rotary percussive drill engineered to penetrate up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) into the Moon's surface. The drill will extract samples approximately 4 inches (10 cm) long, enabling scientists to investigate the distribution of frozen and trapped gases at different depths. Its carbide cutting teeth are designed to handle the Moon's rugged terrain. Unlike the drills used by Apollo astronauts, TRIDENT will be remotely operated from Earth, providing critical data on soil temperature and mechanical properties of the lunar South Pole.

These findings will help determine where lunar resources, such as water ice, might be stable and available for future missions. Understanding regolith temperature and composition is crucial for assessing the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization, which could reduce reliance on Earth-based supplies.

Meanwhile, MSOLO, a commercial off-the-shelf mass spectrometer developed by INFICON and adapted for spaceflight at Kennedy, will analyze gases released from TRIDENT's drilled samples. By detecting the presence of water ice and other trapped gases, MSOLO will provide valuable information about the Moon's resource potential.

Through the CLPS initiative, NASA is investing in commercial lunar delivery services, fostering industry growth while supporting sustained lunar exploration. As one of many customers participating in CLPS deliveries, NASA continues to leverage commercial partnerships to advance space exploration. PRIME-1 was funded through NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate Game Changing Development program.