Analysis of Water in the Regolith of the Moon Using the LASMA-LR Instrument During the Luna-27 Mission

Abstract

Determining water concentrations in the polar regions of the Moon is one of the priority tasks of a number of space missions and, in particular, the Luna-27 mission. The complex of scientific equipment of the Luna-27 spacecraft includes time-of-flight laser ionization mass spectrometer LASMA-LR, the main task of which is to analyze the elemental composition of the regolith at the landing site. The design and configuration of the flight instrument is adapted for the analysis of regolith and was not originally intended for the study of volatile compounds. However, due to the importance of determining the water content in regolith, we reviewed some approaches to analyzing samples during lunar missions and assessed the applicability of LASMA-LR and the laser ionization mass spectrometry method in general for identifying water in regolith. It has been established that using this instrument it is possible to detect water in regolith, including determining its state (chemically bound and unbound water). Moreover, the conditions for sampling the regolith and delivering it to the soil receiving device of the instrument are critically important for the analysis, since under the conditions of the lunar surface, sublimation of ice is possible before the samples are analyzed. This technique has advantages over some other methods of analyzing water and/or ice used in space experiments, and can be used in the study of a number of planets and bodies of the Solar System.