Bathed in moonlight
1 min read
MoonLITE – the Moon Lightweight Interior and Telecom Experiment – will be the focus of a technical study to ascertain its feasibility. The mission aims to place a satellite in orbit around the Moon and deploy four penetrators to deliver scientific instruments below the surface of the Moon.
Minister of State for Science and Innovation Lord Drayson said: “The proposed MoonLITE mission provides a great opportunity to focus the UK’s world class expertise in small satellite, communication and robotic technologies on lunar exploration. It is also a chance to strengthen our relationship with NASA, enhance international collaboration between UK and US scientists and engineers, and answer fundamental questions about the make up of the Moon.”
According to the British National Space Centre, MoonLITE could create the first network of geophysics instruments to probe the interior structure of the Moon and help answer questions about how it formed. Data would be transferred to a satellite orbiter, which would then relay information back to Earth on the strength and frequency of Moonquakes and the thickness of the crust and core. It might also determine whether organic material or water is present in the polar regions.
The study will report with a full mission schedule and costs in late 2009. Dependent on the outcome, MoonLITE could launch around 2014. If MoonLITE does proceed, it would be the first UK led scientific space programme in more than 30 years.
