The Device
A compact, autonomous imaging station for the Moon’s near side—fixed on Earth, designed for reliability, simplicity, and public access.
Purpose
Lunar Eye is a permanent, solar-powered camera module that keeps Earth centered in frame and shares the view with everyone. Unlike orbiters or telescopes, it offers a single, continuous vantage: our whole planet in one shot.
Core Requirements
- Earth-disk framing: optics sized so the full Earth fits with margin for libration.
- Natural imaging: color pipeline tuned to look like satellite imagery (no cinematic grading).
- Autonomy: watchdog reboots, fault-tolerant storage, safe hibernation profiles.
- Public access: adaptive stream + periodic high-res stills to a mirrored archive.
Prospective Mockup
Form factor: rugged cube with forward optic, side antenna, deployable solar panels. (Render/illustration placeholder)
- Mass target: 15–20 kg
- Volume target: ≤ 25 × 25 × 30 cm
- Interfaces: power, data, and mechanical mount compatible with lander payload decks
Preliminary Specifications
| Subsystem | Spec (baseline) |
|---|---|
| Optics / Sensor | Fixed focus, rad-tolerant sensor; FOV sized for full Earth disk + libration margin; 4K capture with downscaled derivatives |
| Imaging Pipeline | True-color tone mapping; night-side city lights preserved; automatic exposure with limb protection |
| Compute | Radiation-tolerant SBC with hardware video encode (H.264/H.265), health watchdog, error-correcting storage |
| Comms | Leverages lander comms; scheduled downlink for stills, adaptive bitrate for public stream |
| Power | Deployable solar (≈50–100 W class) + battery; hibernation for night survival or partial duty cycle |
| Thermal | MLI, radiator coatings, conduction path to structure; survival heaters as needed |
| Contamination Control | Dust-mitigated window (hydrophobic/OLC coatings); optional simple shutter/cover |
| Software | Autonomous boot, safe mode, time-tagged capture, on-device checksums; API for ground scheduling |
Deployment Paths
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
NASA’s CLPS program procures commercial landers to deliver science/tech payloads to the Moon. Lunar Eye can target a near-side surface mission as a small, non-critical instrument with low mass and modest power needs.
Artemis Ecosystem
Artemis missions (crew + cargo) create cadence and infrastructure for lunar surface work. While crewed flights are tightly manifest-managed, the broader Artemis ecosystem—including CLPS flights—offers opportunities to ride along.
International / Commercial
Non-NASA landers (e.g., Japanese, Indian, private ventures) periodically target near-side sites. A public-good imaging payload is a strong outreach complement for these missions.
Note: Exact flight availability, interfaces, and environmental test levels are determined during mission integration with the selected lander provider.
Development Roadmap
- Phase 1 — Concept & Requirements: finalize optics, exposure model, data paths, and structural envelope.
- Phase 2 — Brassboard Prototype: radiation-tolerant compute, encoder, power board; optical bench tests; end-to-end capture → compress → transmit.
- Phase 3 — Environmental Qualification: vibration, thermal-vacuum, radiation; dust mitigation verification.
- Phase 4 — Mission Integration: mechanical/electrical interface to chosen lander; operations scripts; ground segment rehearsal.
- Phase 5 — Surface Ops: commissioning, pointing confirm, live stream enable; public mirror + educator resources.
Contact & Partnerships
Interest from lander providers, agencies, universities, museums, and sponsors is welcome. Let’s build a shared view of Earth, together.
Contact: earth@lunareye.pod.ca
Follow updates: facebook.com/LunarEyeProject
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