Detection Capability Evaluation of Lunar Mineralogical Spectrometer: Results from Ground Experimental Data

Abstract

Chang’E-6 mission willfirstlandon the far side ofthe moon andbring lunar samples back. as a hyperspectral imager aboard the Chang’E-6 lander, the Lunar Mineralogical Spectrometer (LMS), will achieve the goalof spectral detection and mineral composition analysis in sampling area, the data of LMS will alsobe compared with the results of the returned sample laboratory measurements.The visible and near-infrared hyperspectral remote sensing is an effective tool for lunar minerals identification and quantification. Ground validation experiment can be used to evaluate the detection ability of LMS. According to the modal abundances of lunar minerals and glasses ofAPOLLOsamples, binary mixed samples, ternary mixed samples and seven-membered mixed samples were prepared. The samples were ground and stirred homogeneous to about 200 mesh (median particle size about 75μm), to simulate the soil state of lunar surface. Under the laboratory ambient condition, the 480-3200 nm spectral data of the samples were acquired using the Engineering Qualification Model (EQM) of Chang’E-5 LMS, the performance of which is consistent with theflight model of Chang’E-6 LMS. By fitting the mixed samples’ spectral data of the EQM using the Modified Gaussian Methods (MGM), the following conclusions can be drawn：The subtle spectral changes of mixed samples can be detected. The modal abundance of low-Ca pyroxene, high- Ca pyroxene and plagioclase can be derived based on the spectral parameters such as absorption position, depth or width of the mixed samples, and the correlation coefficient R2 are better than 82%, indicating that the LMS has good quantitative detection capability.