Post by Andrei Tchentchik on Oct 27, 2020 12:15:53 GMT 2
(.#561).- Mission Artemis, NASA will probe the craters of the Moon to find water.
Artemis Mission: NASA wants to probe the dark craters of the Moon to find water.
By: Brice Louvet, science editor
May 1, 2020.
As part of a permanent presence on the Moon, astronauts will need to use resources in situ. In this spirit, NASA will deploy a CubeSat aimed at probing the presence of ice at the bottom of the craters.
Just over a year ago, the Trump administration asked NASA to set foot on the Moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis missions. The objective? Aim for a permanent presence on our satellite. To do this, given the exorbitant transport costs inherent in freight transport, it will be necessary to rely directly on the natural resources of the Moon.
Water is an example. In the medium term, astronauts will indeed need to search for ice in situ. Ice which, once extracted, could be melted and purified before being drunk or used to make rocket fuel. With this in mind, NASA developed the Lunar Flashlight mission. The idea: using a small CubeSat to probe the presence of ice at the bottom of lunar craters that have never seen the light of the Sun.
"If we already know that there is ice inside the coldest and darkest craters of the Moon, the previous measurements were a little ambiguous, explains Barbara Cohen, of the Goddard Space Flight Center of the NASA in Greenbelt, Maryland (United States). If we plan to send astronauts there to extract and drink ice, we need to be sure where it is. "
A “flashlight” in the near infrared
During its mission, which should last two months, this “lunar flashlight” will dive above the South Pole, projecting its lasers into the shaded areas permanently but possibly containing molecules of water ice coming from comets and of asteroids.
"The Sun moves around the crater horizon but never actually shines in certain craters," says Barbara Cohen. Trapped at the bottom, the water ice molecules therefore do not receive enough energy to be able to escape. They accumulate over billions of years. "
These small lasers will specialize in the analysis of the near infrared spectrum, whose wavelengths are easily absorbed by water. Basically, if the light from the lasers is reflected, then there is no ice. On the other hand, if it is absorbed, then it means that ice is hiding just below the surface. And the higher the absorption, the more ice there is.
Artist's concept illustrating the CubeSat soon deployed to search for ice below the surface of the Moon. Credits: JPL
In addition, it should be noted that this mission will also be an opportunity for the American agency to test a new green fuel, safer to transport and store than commonly used hydrazine.
This CubeSat will be one of 13 secondary payloads installed aboard the Artemis I mission, which provides for an unmanned flight around the Moon this year. On the calendar side, there will then be the Artemis 2 missions, a manned mission in orbit around the Moon (probably in 2022), then Artemis 3, which will lead the astronauts to land on lunar soil.
F I N .
Artemis Mission: NASA wants to probe the dark craters of the Moon to find water.
By: Brice Louvet, science editor
May 1, 2020.
As part of a permanent presence on the Moon, astronauts will need to use resources in situ. In this spirit, NASA will deploy a CubeSat aimed at probing the presence of ice at the bottom of the craters.
Just over a year ago, the Trump administration asked NASA to set foot on the Moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis missions. The objective? Aim for a permanent presence on our satellite. To do this, given the exorbitant transport costs inherent in freight transport, it will be necessary to rely directly on the natural resources of the Moon.
Water is an example. In the medium term, astronauts will indeed need to search for ice in situ. Ice which, once extracted, could be melted and purified before being drunk or used to make rocket fuel. With this in mind, NASA developed the Lunar Flashlight mission. The idea: using a small CubeSat to probe the presence of ice at the bottom of lunar craters that have never seen the light of the Sun.
"If we already know that there is ice inside the coldest and darkest craters of the Moon, the previous measurements were a little ambiguous, explains Barbara Cohen, of the Goddard Space Flight Center of the NASA in Greenbelt, Maryland (United States). If we plan to send astronauts there to extract and drink ice, we need to be sure where it is. "
A “flashlight” in the near infrared
During its mission, which should last two months, this “lunar flashlight” will dive above the South Pole, projecting its lasers into the shaded areas permanently but possibly containing molecules of water ice coming from comets and of asteroids.
"The Sun moves around the crater horizon but never actually shines in certain craters," says Barbara Cohen. Trapped at the bottom, the water ice molecules therefore do not receive enough energy to be able to escape. They accumulate over billions of years. "
These small lasers will specialize in the analysis of the near infrared spectrum, whose wavelengths are easily absorbed by water. Basically, if the light from the lasers is reflected, then there is no ice. On the other hand, if it is absorbed, then it means that ice is hiding just below the surface. And the higher the absorption, the more ice there is.
Artist's concept illustrating the CubeSat soon deployed to search for ice below the surface of the Moon. Credits: JPL
In addition, it should be noted that this mission will also be an opportunity for the American agency to test a new green fuel, safer to transport and store than commonly used hydrazine.
This CubeSat will be one of 13 secondary payloads installed aboard the Artemis I mission, which provides for an unmanned flight around the Moon this year. On the calendar side, there will then be the Artemis 2 missions, a manned mission in orbit around the Moon (probably in 2022), then Artemis 3, which will lead the astronauts to land on lunar soil.
F I N .
