Mapping Using Existing/Future Mission Coordinates
AUTHOR: CHRISTINE TIBALLI, OPEN LUNAR FELLOW AND REGISTRY LEAD
The following work is completed by Christine, an Open Lunar fellow researching the lunar zones research scope. This is part 2 of a series, stay tuned for more.
In Part I of this series, we set out the lunar imperative, drawing on terrestrial models of ecological resource management, to make the case for carefully designed activity frameworks and governance guardrails that promote sustainable lunar development. Part II turns theory into practice, introducing a new mechanism for designating activity areas on the Moon. Here, we lay out an operational strategy and practical guidelines aimed at fostering transparency, cooperation, and purposeful communication.
Starting with What We Know:
Using coordinates of current and future missions, particularly around high-interest areas like permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) near the lunar south pole, these locations can serve as critical anchors for establishing initial infrastructure. By capitalizing on known mission objectives and capabilities, early 'assumptions' can be made about the number of objects, activity types, and durations of planned activities for these regions. In conjunction, they make ideal testbeds for the application of a novel use designation framework. For delimiting safety critical activities or contamination protocols, Open Lunar's Lunar Registry of Objects project will provide vital detailed insight into proximity prevention (due regard).
Focusing strategically on essential infrastructure at these key locations, opens up the potential for collaborative frameworks that enable integrated planning among all stakeholders. This approach includes creating access areas that form naturally around core components like power, communications, launch/landing pads, and eventually habitation/work modules, combined with considerations for contamination or proximity concerns regarding specialized activities (extraction, plume spread or radiation perimeters).
The advantage of designating shared use areas can be found in terrestrial use cases, particularly around maritime resources and mineral rights. Establishing activity types, access areas, and operational protocols can facilitate organized approaches and maintain conflict-free sharing. The key to maintaining these coexistence policies is the clear articulation of boundaries, resource control and access. With these known guardrails, cooperative approaches to disputes can be aligned.
Adaptive Coexistence Policies:
Adaptive policies are crucial to ensuring harmonious interaction, particularly when commercial and scientific exploration, or life safety and specialized operations are concerned. This proposal emphasizes the establishment of "harmonization areas", designed to structure adjacent or partially overlapping areas/activities where critical activities will occur. It has the benefit of facilitating the movement and interaction between different sectors and managing the transition from one activity type to another. Within these areas, flexible protocols, based on feedback loops and re-assessments will govern transitions and mitigate disputes, overlaps, or interference.
A visual representation and operational functions of these areas can be found below:
The inner circle comprises a three dimensional area (with a temporal assignment) where activities, instrument deployments, or other core functions occur. In order to maintain safety and mission integrity, access is tightly controlled for any external parties (emergencies are the only anticipated exception). These boundaries require carefully and methodically planned coordination and registration to ensure their integrity.
The middle circle represents the buffer and mitigation areas, termed “harmonization areas”. These serve as transitional areas to handle the potential overlap of adjacent activities where noise, contamination, or safety challenges can be accommodated. Access here is limited to operators of adjacent missions but must be coordinated to prevent external contamination.
The final outermost circle marks the full extent of the operational area desired by the operator, where less sensitive operations can be carried out or where critical operations can be staged. This area is flexible and less likely to impact operational goals, therefore access is broadly open, provided necessary permissions are obtained.
In all three areas, transparency and planning are critical. Parallel research being conducted by OLF around PNT and a Lunar Registry are vital to maintain the integrity of designated boundaries, to accommodate fluid risk-based change, and to rebalance dynamically with feedback from operations and discovery.
Foundational to these strategies are digital tools that will enable open communication with agile and adaptive frameworks. Particularly, they are adept at near real-time monitoring and dynamic adjustments which are essential in high-stakes environments with considerable safety, investment, and IP at stake. The next section will dive deeper and outline the capabilities and tactics for complementing adaptive strategies through timely feedback and informed decision-making. Integrating these technologies with our frameworks creates a valuable synergy to advance capabilities and comprehensive strategies to propel sustainable progress.
Tools for Real-Time Monitoring and Management
In the evolving landscape of lunar operations, digital technologies will play a vital role in ensuring the safety and sustainability of all activities. Embracing innovative tools like digital twins and predictive risk models becomes fundamental to informed, data-driven decision-making, providing the capability of near real-time monitoring and operational scenario modeling to predict and mitigate risk.
Deployment of Digital Technologies
Digital twins—precise, virtual replicas of physical assets or environments, enable agencies and commercial entities to simulate and monitor lunar operations in near real-time. Allowing stakeholders to visualize potential scenarios across multiple dimensions, digital twins facilitate strategic planning by predicting risks and preemptively identifying safety or contamination issues before they play out on the ground.
When combined with digital twins, predictive risk models leverage historical data, machine learning, and existing operational metrics to anticipate challenging scenarios across the dynamic lunar operational environment. With foresight into potential breaches, organizations are enabled to recalibrate strategies and maintain resilient operations. In terrestrial applications, digital twins and risk modeling have been deployed successfully around urban development.
Integrating climate risk factors, they not only provide actionable insights but mitigation opportunities across highly interconnected systems and operations.
A critical application for the lunar environment would intuitively be found in breach notifications, adjacent boundary changes, or capacity assessments. The integrated communication and data sharing protocols ensure that any issues are less impactful on neighboring activities or on resource management. Including designated buffer areas around all activities forms another level of mitigation and risk reduction, ensuring all stakeholders have the appropriate tools to manage unintended consequences and foster a cooperative environment.
Interactive Mapping and Stakeholder Accountability
As the complexity of lunar operations grows, the use of dynamic interactive mapping is essential. Serving as the backbone of proactive area management, these tools provide a consolidated view of operations, boundary conditions, mission activities, and resource allocations.
Interactive mapping systems boost spatial awareness and empower stakeholders with accountability. They display the status of licenses to operate and define areas and activities in a clear visual way. This can help all stakeholders understand active operations better and track compliance across a changing environment. Because of transparency, all parties stay informed, can react to changes quickly, and reduce potential conflicts so that operations continue to run safely.
Together, these tools are critical for collaborative celestial stewardship, and developing a unified approach to managing shared resources while limiting adverse impacts on the lunar environment. The continuous refinement and deployment of these digital solutions will be key to our continued success and harmony on the Moon.