Laser ranging and inductive coupling navigation systems for exploring lava tubes on the Moon

The industrialization of the Moon requires the protection of people and electronic equipment located there from the external influences of outer space. The solution is to place habitable bases in lava tubes, while the tasks of subsurface navigation, topography, and orientation of astronauts and space robots become relevant. In this regard, technical solutions based on induction navigation and radio navigation methods developed for the mining industry, as well as on the basis of combining data from laser location systems (LLS) with data from inertial navigation and odometry, are of interest. To substantiate the use of an induction-coupled radar and navigation system to determine the location of astronauts and equipment as they move in lava tubes under the surface of the Moon, as well as to determine the technical requirements for these systems. Induction-coupled and RADAR-based navigation systems make it possible to create a digital model of a lava tube, each section of which contains information about the location, motion parameters, and orientation angles of the mobile robot. First, mapping is performed, the cross-section is determined, and a 3D model of the lava tube is built using radar. Then, after determining the geometric parameters of the lava tube, a waveguide is installed for astronauts and mobile robots using an induction navigation system in combination with inertial sensors and an odometer. A communication line passes through the same waveguide to exchange information with the control room. The results of computer simulation of the characteristics of an induction-coupled navigation system are presented, and the requirements for a radar based on 3D Flash Ladar technology are determined. The performed assessments show the technical feasibility of the proposed technology. The results obtained make it possible to organize the effective movement of an astronaut together with a mobile robot in a lava tube.