N. E. Button
Papers
2
Total Citations
12
H-Index
2
About
N. E. Button is a leading figure in planetary exploration, specializing in the development of mission architectures and science operations for lunar polar rovers. Their major contributions center on the Mojave Volatiles Prospector (MVP) project, a pioneering terrestrial field campaign designed to simulate the robotic search for volatiles—such as water ice—on the Moon. Button’s work directly informs the design of real-time, short-duration lunar polar missions, bridging the gap between analog field tests and actual spaceflight operations. Their most cited paper, "Lunar polar rover science operations: Lessons learned and mission architecture implications derived from the Mojave Volatiles Prospector (MVP) terrestrial field campaign" (2016, 9 citations), distills critical insights into how science teams can effectively command rovers under the extreme time constraints and communication delays of polar lunar exploration. This research has shaped payload integration strategies and operational protocols for upcoming NASA and commercial lunar missions. Button’s achievements include leading the MVP field campaign, which produced actionable knowledge for volatile prospecting, and their work remains essential reading for engineers and scientists designing the next generation of lunar polar rovers.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Mojave Volatiles Prospector (MVP): Science and Operations Results from a Lunar Polar Rover Analog Field Campaign3 citations · 2015