Three scientific instruments will reveal water and minerals, enabling a deeper understanding of the Moon ahead of humans' return to it as part of the Artemis program
NASA is preparing for a bold new era of lunar exploration with three advanced instruments that will study the surface and the ground beneath. Two of them will be mounted on the new Lunar Rover – an agile vehicle capable of carrying astronauts – while the third instrument will operate from orbit around the moon.
The devices will help discover hidden water sources, map minerals, and monitor changes caused by human activity.
Three advanced devices
NASA has selected three scientific instruments to be sent on upcoming missions to the Moon. Two of them will be mounted on the new Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), and the third will be flown into orbit around the Moon on a future mission.
The LTV is a key component of NASA's Artemis program, which marks the return of a manned vehicle to the lunar surface for the first time in more than five decades. It is a flexible vehicle designed to carry up to two astronauts, but also capable of operating autonomously. Its design allows it to navigate a wide variety of lunar surfaces, thereby contributing to scientific research and expanding the boundaries of exploration.
"The Artemis Lunar Rover will take humanity deeper into the lunar landscape than ever before, on an unprecedented scientific journey," said Nikki Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By seamlessly integrating human and robotic exploration, the rover's instruments will contribute to discoveries that will illuminate our understanding of the Moon—and keep our astronauts and spacecraft healthy and safe."
AIRES: Mineral and Volatile Materials Mapping
One of the selected devices is called AREAS – An infrared spectrometer for measuring reflectance and emission, which will identify, measure and map minerals and volatiles on the moon. Volatiles are substances that tend to easily change to a gaseous state, such as water, ammonia and carbon dioxide.
AIRES will collect spectral information that will be combined with visible-light images, providing measurements at both focused points and over wide areas, particularly in the lunar south polar region. The project is led by Phil Christensen of Arizona State University in Tampa.
L-MAPS: Discovery of Subsurface Lunar Layers
Another device is L-MAPS – An active-passive microwave spectrometer, which will combine a spectrometer with ground-penetrating radar. The device will measure temperature, density, and underground structures to a depth of more than 40 meters.
The goal: to determine the composition of the soil and look for evidence of ice deposits. The L-MAPS project is led by Matthew Sigler of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
When data from both instruments are combined, they will provide a broad picture of the lunar surface and subsurface – insights that will contribute to the planning of inhabited missions and a broader understanding of the evolution of rocky worlds in the solar system.
UCIS-Moon: The Moon Through Orbit
The third device selected is called UCIS-Moon – An ultra-compact imaging spectrometer. It is designed for flight in lunar orbit, and will provide a regional context for discoveries made by the rover.
The instrument will map the lunar geology and volatiles, monitor the effects of human activity, and help identify areas of scientific interest where astronauts can collect samples, creating a broad record of the geographic context of those areas.
The spectrometer will provide the highest spatial resolution data yet on water, minerals and physical properties of lunar soil. The project is managed by Abigail Freeman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
"The three instruments together will provide a significant leap in understanding the composition of the lunar soil, both above and below the surface," said Joel Kearns, associate administrator for NASA's Science Exploration Division. "The instruments will allow us to characterize the surface in areas where astronauts have been active and throughout the South Pole - opening the door to exciting discoveries in the coming years."
As part of the preparations, NASA collaborated with the three rover suppliers – Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab – to complete the initial design review phase. This phase confirmed that the initial design of each rover met NASA requirements and included the correct choices, required connections and appropriate validation methods.
NASA is expected to announce the vendor selected for the demonstration mission by the end of 2025.
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