NASA has recently made a significant selection of three scientific instruments destined for the Moon, marking an exciting development in lunar exploration. Two of these instruments are set to be installed on the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), while the third is reserved for a future orbital opportunity. This initiative is part of NASA’s ambitious Artemis program, which aims to explore the Moon more extensively and pave the way for future missions to Mars.
The Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) represents a pivotal component of NASA’s renewed exploration efforts. As the first human-driven vehicle on the Moon in over half a century, it is designed to transport up to two astronauts and can also operate autonomously. This versatility allows it to cover vast areas of the Moon’s surface, thereby fulfilling a range of scientific and exploratory objectives. The LTV’s capabilities are integral to the Artemis program, enabling NASA to expand its research and exploration across the lunar landscape.
Nicky Fox, the associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, emphasizes the significance of the LTV in the Artemis campaign. She notes that the vehicle will propel humanity further across the lunar frontier, facilitating a journey of scientific discovery. By harnessing both human expertise and robotic technology, the instruments selected for the LTV promise to yield insights into Earth’s closest celestial neighbor. These discoveries are expected to enhance our understanding of lunar science and contribute to the well-being of astronauts and spacecraft operating on the Moon.
The first of the selected instruments is the Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer (AIRES). This device will play a crucial role in identifying, quantifying, and mapping lunar minerals and volatiles. Volatiles are materials that evaporate easily, such as water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. AIRES will collect spectral data overlaid on visible light images, allowing scientists to study both specific lunar features and broad panoramas. This will help map the distribution of minerals and volatiles across the Moon’s south polar region. The AIRES instrument team is led by Phil Christensen from Arizona State University in Tempe.
The second instrument, the Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer (L-MAPS), is designed to explore beneath the Moon’s surface and search for potential ice deposits. This instrument suite includes both a spectrometer and a ground-penetrating radar, enabling it to measure temperature, density, and subsurface structures to a depth of over 131 feet (40 meters). The L-MAPS instrument team is led by Matthew Siegler from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Together, the data collected by AIRES and L-MAPS will provide a comprehensive understanding of the lunar surface and subsurface. This information will support human exploration efforts and uncover clues about the history of rocky worlds in our solar system. Additionally, these instruments will help scientists characterize the Moon’s resources, including its composition, potential ice locations, and how it changes over time.
In addition to the instruments intended for the LTV, NASA has also selected the Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer for the Moon (UCIS-Moon) for a future orbital mission. This instrument will offer regional context to the findings from the LTV. From its vantage point in orbit, UCIS-Moon will map the Moon’s geology and volatiles and assess how human activities might impact these substances. The spectrometer will also identify scientifically valuable areas for astronauts to collect lunar samples. Its wide-view images will provide context for where these samples are collected. The UCIS-Moon instrument team is led by Abigail Fraeman from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Joel Kearns, the deputy associate administrator for Exploration at the Science Mission Directorate, underscores the importance of these three instruments in answering critical questions about the Moon’s composition. By deploying these instruments on the LTV and in orbit, NASA aims to characterize the lunar surface, particularly in the south polar region. This endeavor presents exciting opportunities for scientific discovery and exploration that will continue for years to come.
Prior to selecting these instruments, NASA collaborated with three lunar terrain vehicle vendors – Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab – to complete preliminary design reviews. This process ensured that the initial design of each commercial lunar rover met NASA’s system requirements. It also confirmed that appropriate design options were chosen, interfaces identified, and verification methods described. NASA plans to evaluate task order proposals from each LTV vendor and make a selection decision on the demonstration mission by the end of 2025.
Through the Artemis program, NASA aims to address high-priority scientific questions, particularly those best answered by human explorers on and around the Moon. By leveraging both robotic and human capabilities, Artemis seeks to achieve scientific discoveries, economic benefits, and lay the groundwork for the first crewed missions to Mars.
For more information about the Artemis program, you can visit NASA’s official Artemis webpage.
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