Power Analysis for Optimum Illumination Conditions Using lunar Operations Tower for Surface Activity

The Artemis program reignited interest in crewed lunar exploration and the construction of lunar bases. High-priority targets for these efforts include permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) in craters near the South Pole, as they may harbor resources such as water. However, one of the challenges of operating in such regions is the lack of light, which restricts the use of visual means for sensing, localization, and site monitoring. Previously, we have suggested using a network of tiles with sensors and lights in our design for a lunar base to detect the movement of assets such as robots and provide situational lighting, which is more efficient than keeping all of the lights within the base lit. Now, we analyze the requirements for providing illumination to support tasks such as infrastructure construction and resource extraction, which may take place far away from the lunar base's network of sensors placed in floor tiles. Taking hints from our previous work, we compare floodlights that illuminate the entire working area and narrow spotlights that sweep the area. We go deeper than in our previous work by basing our calculations on the requirements for carrying out tasks similar to those in outdoor industrial sites on Earth. Our results show that floodlights are more appropriate for illuminating workspaces far from the existing sensor network, as spotlights may not provide sufficient coverage for detecting anomalies.