8,10,11,- 1University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA (kerri.donaldsonhanna@ucf.edu)
- 2US Geologic Survey, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
- 3Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
- 4Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- 5University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- 6Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
- 7BAE Systems, Boulder, CO, USA
- 8University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- 9University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- 10University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- 11University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Introduction: The Gruithuisen domes (36°N, 40°W) were first identified as volcanic structures distinct from their surrounding mare flows based on their morphology and unusually red-sloped UV-visible spectrum [e.g., 1–3]. Morphologic analyses of the steep-sided domes suggested they are composed of highly viscous magmas similar to terrestrial extrusive volcanic features, which are consistent with higher silica contents (> 52 wt.% SiO2) found in rhyolites, dacites and basaltic andesites [e.g., 4]. Further observations by Lunar Prospector (LP), Diviner Lunar Radiometer (Diviner), and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) have shown that the domes are enriched in Th (~17 to 40 ppm) and SiO2, and low in FeO [e.g., 5–7]. However, the exact composition of the rock making up the domes has remained elusive. In particular, Diviner’s compositional bands were not optimized for constraining the composition of highly silicic materials [6,8], making it challenging to constrain how such rocks could form on a single plate planetary body like the Moon.
Mission Objectives: The Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) instrument suite was selected through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program and will be deployed on the Moon by Firefly Aerospace, which was selected through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program for task order CP-21. Lunar-VISE will land on Mons Gruithuisen Gamma (hereafter referred to informally as “the Gamma dome”) and will use its combined lander and rover payload to determine the composition and physical properties of the rocks and regolith comprising the domes, placing critical constraints on their formation mechanism.
The overarching science goal of our investigation is to understand how late-stage lunar silicic volcanism works under lunar conditions, as typified by the Gruithuisen domes. This goal will be accomplished through two science objectives that place critical constraints on the two main hypotheses for the formation of non-mare silicic volcanic constructs by (1) mapping spatial variations in composition along multiple traverses across the landing site, and correlating the measured variations to rock and regolith properties, surface features, and dome morphology. Lunar-VISE will also (2) relate those local-scale measurements to orbital remote sensing observations from previous and current spacecraft. Our primary exploration goal is to understand the geotechnical properties of the lunar regolith on the domes at the lander/rover scale. This exploration goal will be accomplished by mapping local variations in regolith properties of the region surrounding the landing site and along the rover’s traverse.
Lunar-VISE Instrument Suite: To achieve our goals and objectives, Lunar-VISE includes a complementary suite of heritage instruments on a rover and lander. The rover payload includes two separate units, the Lunar-VISE Visible/Infrared Multiband Suite (LV-VIMS) and the Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (LV-GRNS). The lander suite includes two additional cameras for characterizing the landing site, surrounding area, and rover traverse: the Lunar-VISE Descent Camera (LV-DC) for surface imaging during landing, and the Lunar-VISE Context Camera (LV-CC) for panoramas up to 270° around the landing site and the rover traverse. Both cameras are copies of the LV-VIC but without the multispectral capabilities.
Current Mission Status: The Lunar-VISE team passed NASA CDR in January/February 2024 and KDP in March 2024. Instrument building, integration, and environmental testing of the Lunar-VISE payload instruments is currently underway. Delivery in place is on schedule and currently planned for fall 2025. With the recent selection of Firefly Aerospace as the CLPS provider for CP-21, the Lunar-VISE team will begin working with Firefly and Honeybee Robotics to integrate the payload instruments onto the lander and rover and further develop surface operation plans.
Acknowledgments: Lunar-VISE is funded through NASA’s PRISM2 cooperative agreement number 80NSSC22M0303. Thanks to our Mission Manager C. Benson, Program Scientist R. Watkins, Project Scientist M. Banks, CLPS Integration Manager J. Schonfeld, and NASA HQ and PMPO teams.
References: [1] Head J. W. and McCord T. B. (1978) Science, 199, 1433-1436. [2] Bruno B. C. et al. (1991) LPSC XXI, 405-415. [3] Chevrel S. D. et al. (1999) JGR, 104, 16515-16529. [4] Wilson L. and Head J. W. (2003) JGR Planets, 108(E2), 5012. [5] Hagerty J. J. et al. (2006) JGR, 111, doi:10.1029/2005JE002592. [6] Glotch T. D. et al. (2010) Science, 329, 1510-1513. [7] Clegg-Watkins R. N. (2017) Icarus, 285, 169-184. [8] Greenhagen B. T. et al. (2010) Science, 329, 1507-1509.
How to cite: Donaldson Hanna, K., Bennett, K., Byron, B., Denevi, B., Dove, A., Hagerty, J., Hardgrove, C., Hayne, P., Heffern, L., Landis, M., Rudd, V., Schindhelm, R., Shirley, K., Siegler, M., Sunshine, J., Prettyman, T., Tripathi, P., Williams, J. P., and Valencia, S.: The Lunar-VISE Investigation of Mons Gruithuisen Gamma, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025, Helsinki, Finland, 7–12 Sep 2025, EPSC-DPS2025-1099, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1099, 2025.
