  The discovery of ice deposits in the permanently shadowed craters of the
lunar North and South Pole Moon presents an important opportunity for In-Situ
Resource Utilization. These ice deposits maybe the source for sustaining a
lunar base or for enabling an interplanetary refueling station. These ice
deposits also preserve a unique record of the geology and environment of their
hosts, both in terms of impact history and the supply of volatile compounds,
and so are of immense scientific interest. To date, these ice deposits have
been studied indirectly and by remote active radar, but they need to be
analyzed in-situ by robotic systems that can study the depths of the deposits,
their purity and composition. However, these shadowed craters never see
sunlight and are one of the coldest places in the solar system. NASA JPL
proposed use of solar reflectors mounted on crater rims to project sunlight
into the crater depths for use by ground robots. The solar reflectors would
heat the crater base and vehicles positioned at the base sufficiently to
survive the cold-temperatures. Our approach analyzes part of the logistics of
the approach, with teams of robots climbing up and down to the crater to access
the ice deposits. The mission will require robots to climb down extreme
environments and carry large structures, including instruments and
communication devices.
