Hello
Federico Colaiuta
Ph.D. Student in in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Space Science, Sapienza University of Rome & INAF-I
About Me
I am a second-year PhD candidate in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Space Science at Sapienza University of Rome and INAF-IAPS. My research is centered on the identification of strategic regions of interest on the lunar surface, with a specific focus on supporting In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). My analysis targets regions enriched in Rare-Earth Elements (REE), which are crucial for local technological development, as well as areas containing hydroxyl and water. These volatile resources are fundamental for the extraction of oxygen, hydrogen, and water, which are essential for sustaining long-term human presence and exploration.
To characterize these regions, I integrate multi-mission remote sensing data, including measurements from the nuclear and gamma-ray spectrometers onboard Lunar Prospector, the Diviner radiometer from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the hyper spectral data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper () onboard the Chandrayaan-1 mission. A core component of my work involves the development of a novel machine learning model designed to improve the detection of water signatures. By using M3input parameters to reproduce bolometric temperatures, the model effectively isolates and removes the residual thermal emission that typically masks water absorption features in spectral datasets.
This methodology is not only effective for orbital observations but is also highly suitable for interpreting in-situ measurements, such as those provided by the Lunar Mineralogical Spectrometer (LMS) on the Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6 missions. This approach allows for a more precise assessment of water distribution at a local scale, providing a critical framework for evaluating potential resources directly on the lunar surface.
Click here for more information and here to view my poster.