In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a key NASA initiative to exploit resources at the site of planetary exploration for mission-critical consumables, propellants, and other supplies. The Resource Prospector mission, part of ISRU, is scheduled to launch in 2020 and will include a rover and lander hosting the Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) payload for extracting and analyzing lunar resources, particularly low molecular weight volatiles for fuel, air, and water. RESOLVE contains the Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) subsystem with a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). RESOLVE subsystems, including the RP'15 rover and LAVA, are in NASA's Engineering Test Unit (ETU) phase to assure that all vital components of the payload are space-flight rated and will perform as expected during the mission. Integration and testing of LAVA mass spectrometry verified reproducibility and accuracy of the candidate MS for detecting nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. The RP'15 testing comprised volatile analysis of water-doped simulant regolith to enhance integration of the RESOLVE payload with the rover. Multiple tests show the efficacy of the GC to detect 2% and 5% water-doped samples.

The RESOLVE project requires an analytical system to identify and quantitate the volatiles released from a lunar drill core sample as it is crushed and heated to 150 degrees C. The expected gases and their range of concentrations were used to assess Gas Chromatography (GC) and Mass Spectrometry (MS), along with specific analyzers for use on this potential lunar lander. The ability of these systems to accurately quantitate water and hydrogen in an unknown matrix led to the selection of a small MEMS commercial process GC for use in this project. The modification, development and testing of this instrument for the specific needs of the project is covered.