These electron and ion data enabled us to determine the night side lunar surface potential and spacecraft potential only from the observed data for the first time.
This is consistent with the Apollo SIDE observation of 70 eV ions accelerated by the negative lunar surface potential (Freeman and Ibrahim, 1975) and a surface potential as low as -100 V on some terminator crossings (Lindeman et al., 1973).
Hoberman has been approached about several possible commercial applications for his invention, and Dr. Martin M. Miklaus, of NASA, is looking at it for its space-station and lunar shelter potential.
This will presumably the Constellation Program, aimed at creating unified architecture for orbital, lunar, and potential Mars missions.
Futaana et al. (2013) estimated the lunar surface potential using an empirical method that uses the observed ENA intensity over a magnetic anomaly.
Moon Electrostatic Dust Analayser (MESDA), consisting of two instruments namely Lunar Surface Potential detector and Lunar Dust Detector and Chandra's Surface Thermal Experiment (CHASTE) which may determine the thermal profile up to 10 cm depth in the regolith are being considered for the Lander.
Simple probe theory treats this as a current balance problem (e.g. Manka, 1973), and most measurements to date suggest small positive dayside lunar surface potentials seemingly consistent with a balance between photoe-mission and incident solar wind electron thermal currents (Goldstein, 1974; Freeman and Ibrahim, 1975; Halekas et al., 2008c).
1990 Galileo spacecraft collects compositional remote-sensing data during lunar flyby, demonstrating potential for future orbital geochemical missions.
But past studies of potential lunar effects have been tainted by statistical weaknesses, biases, or inconsistent methods, Cajochen says.
The business case for this application provides an economic framework for a potential lunar water mining operation.
