SBIR-STTR Award

We propose to adapt a miniaturized borehole seismometer for deployment with a heat probe below the Lunar surface. The heat flow probe has already been designed and tested to reach a depth of 3m and will be installed underground by an existing gas jet drilling method. By burying an innovative, broadband, optical seismometer along with the heat flow probe, we can accomplish all of the goals of a high-mass, high-power surface seismic station with minimal mass and power. While this method currently allows installation at depths of 3m - we make maximum use of this environment - our sensor anticipates possible deployments at much greater depths.In the proposed work we will build and test a full working prototype of this seismometer. We will test it under lunar environmental conditions (vacuum, temperature and simulated regolith), bringing this instrument concept (TRL2) to a tested prototype (TRL4).