Enabling Autonomous Space Exploration: Feasibility and Design of a Lunar Robotic Laboratory

Abstract

Future Lunar and Martian exploration missions heavily rely on the ability to deploy advanced robotic infrastructures capable of operating fully autonomously in extreme planetary environments. Building such high-value, autonomous scientific and logistical capabilities is essential for supporting planetary science, mapping in-situ resources, and preparing long-duration human and robotic missions. The present study is part of CNES Spaceship France project's roadmap developing innovative solutions for future Habitat for Moon and Mars exploration, and focuses on assessing the architecture of an autonomous lunar surface laboratory deployed on ESA’s Argonaut EL3 lander. The laboratory is supported by a dedicated rover responsible for subsurface geological sampling and soil excavation. The mission is built around four core objectives: performing in-situ geological analysis of rover-delivered samples, conducting small-scale in-situ manufacturing demonstrations, establishing a geological repository that preserves collected samples and enables their retrieval and return on future missions, and providing a charging hub for the rover. A comprehensive suite of scientific and technology-demonstration instruments has been identified to support the mission objectives. Environmental drivers were incorporated into all functional and architectural trade-offs. The outcome is a comprehensive preliminary design of an autonomous lunar surface laboratory, detailing its internal architecture, subsystem interfaces, workflow layout, and accommodation of scientific and support functions. This work demonstrates the technical feasibility of the concept and outlines the critical technologies to reach operational readiness. Such a robotic infrastructure represents a strategic element of space exploration, providing a gap-filling platform that significantly enhances autonomous surface operations capabilities on planetary environments, and enables long-duration, more complex missions.