  An efficient characterization of scientifically significant locations is
essential prior to the return of humans to the Moon. The highest resolution
imagery acquired from orbit of south-polar shadowed regions and other relevant
locations remains, at best, an order of magnitude larger than the
characteristic length of most of the robotic systems to be deployed. This
hinders the planning and successful implementation of prospecting missions and
poses a high risk for the traverse of robots and humans, diminishing the
potential overall scientific and commercial return of any mission. We herein
present the design of a lightweight, compact, autonomous, and reusable lunar
reconnaissance drone capable of assisting other ground-based robotic assets,
and eventually humans, in the characterization and high-resolution mapping
(~0.1 m/px) of particularly challenging and hard-to-access locations on the
lunar surface. The proposed concept consists of two main subsystems: the drone
and its service station. With a total combined wet mass of 100 kg, the system
is capable of 11 flights without refueling the service station, enabling almost
9 km of accumulated flight distance. The deployment of such a system could
significantly impact the efficiency of upcoming exploration missions,
increasing the distance covered per day of exploration and significantly
reducing the need for recurrent contacts with ground stations on Earth.
