Gowen, Robert; Ball, Andrew; Gao, Yang; Crawford, Ian; Smith, Alan; Winter, B.; Theobald, C.; Rees, K.; Hagermann, Axel; Sheridan, Simon; Brown, P.; Oddy, T.; Dougherty, M.; Church, Phillip; Barber, Simeon; Jones, A.; Joy, K. H.; Pike, Tom; Kumar, S.; Hope, T.; Wells, Nigel; Green, K.; Ryden , K.; Griffiths, Andrew; Phipps, Andy; Sims, Mark and Talboys, Dean
(2008).
| URL: | http://www.iafastro.net/iac/archive/file/IAC-08/ab... |
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| Google Scholar: | Look up in Google Scholar |
Abstract
MoonLITE is a proposed, UK-led lunar science mission comprising 4 scientific penetrators that will make in-situ measurements at widely separated locations on the Moon. They will form a global seismic network capable of investigating the interior of the Moon including the existence of a core, its size and nature such as whether it is liquid or not. Particular landing sites at 1 each pole will also allow determination of the existence of water and other volatiles, and astrobiological organics possibly deposited by impacting comets. The other two landing sites will include the far side which has also not yet seen a landing, and a landing near an Apollo site to allow correlation with previous results. Additionally, detection of lunar water resources and possible sites to avoid large seismic events potentially dangerous to lunar bases offer information very valuable to future human missions. We will present a brief overview of this mission and its current status, including results from the forthcoming full scale impact tests currently on-schedule for late May this year, and from the pre-trial survival modelling. The current status of the planned Phase-A analysis and NASA involvement, and associated parallel hardware development programme will also be presented, together with their potential impact on the future development programme. We will additionally discuss the current status of possible coordination with the recently NASA proposed lunar geophysical network, and with other proposed lunar missions.
| Item Type: | Conference Item |
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| Copyright Holders: | 2008 IAC |
| Extra Information: | Vol. 7, pp. 4359-4369 |
| Academic Unit/Department: | Science > Physical Sciences Science |
| Interdisciplinary Research Centre: | Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR) |
| Related URLs: | |
| Item ID: | 29669 |
| Depositing User: | Simon Sheridan |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Mar 2012 12:33 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Nov 2012 17:28 |
| URI: | http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/29669 |
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