NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft is set to make a groundbreaking discovery as it nears completion. Equipped with the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM), a piece of technology designed to detect water, this spacecraft is poised to unravel the mysteries of the moon’s water abundance, location, and form. Developed by the University of Oxford in England and contributed by the UK Space Agency, the LTM joins the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) as part of the Lunar Trailblazer program led by Cal Tech. With its launch scheduled for early 2024, the Lunar Trailblazer will embark on its mission to scan the lunar surface and analyze variations in water content using these state-of-the-art instruments.
The importance of this mission cannot be overstated. Not only does it precede NASA’s Artemis moon mission, which aims to return astronauts to the moon, but it also holds the key to understanding the moon’s water cycle and the existence of a possible hydrated layer beneath the lunar surface. Earlier this year, the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered water in impact glass brought back from the moon, hinting at the presence of a reservoir yet to be identified. By comparing readings at different times of day, the Lunar Trailblazer will provide crucial insights into the distribution and behavior of water on the moon. With the combined power of the LTM and HVM3 instruments, scientists hope to pave the way for future lunar exploration and unlock the potential of our celestial neighbor.
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Spacecraft Equipped with Water-Detecting Instrument
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, currently in its final stages of completion, has been fitted with a new piece of equipment designed to detect water. The Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM), developed by the University of Oxford in England and contributed by the UK Space Agency, joins the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) as part of the spacecraft’s scientific instruments. Together, these instruments will enable scientists to determine the abundance, location, and form of water on the moon, according to a press release from NASA.
The Lunar Trailblazer program, led by Caltech, is set to launch no earlier than early 2024. It will be carried as a secondary payload on NASA’s second Intuitive Machines lunar lander mission, along with NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1. The latter experiment will search for samples below the lunar surface. Once in lunar orbit, the Lunar Trailblazer will utilize the HVM3 to scan wavelengths of sunlight reflected off water forms on the lunar surface. Additionally, the LTM instrument will be used to scan the terrain. By comparing readings at different times of day, the mission aims to detect variations in the amount of water present on the moon.
The search for water on the moon has been a topic of interest for scientists around the world. Earlier this year, Chinese scientists discovered water in impact glass brought back to Earth by China’s Chang’e-5 lunar mission. Impact glass is formed when meteorite impacts on the lunar surface melt rock. The presence of water in such glass suggests the possibility of a hydrated layer existing at depth in lunar soils, although a definitive reservoir has yet to be identified, as stated in a paper published in the scientific journal Nature.
The Lunar Trailblazer mission will precede NASA’s Artemis moon mission, which aims to return astronauts to the moon. NASA has been actively working to internationalize the Artemis mission and its precursor missions. The addition of the LTM to the Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft will provide crucial data to better understand the presence and distribution of water on the moon, supporting future lunar exploration efforts.
In conclusion, the inclusion of the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) on NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft brings new capabilities for detecting water on the moon. As scientists continue to explore the moon’s surface and search for potential water sources, the LTM, along with the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3), will enable researchers to determine the abundance, location, and form of water on the lunar surface. This information will be crucial for future missions, including NASA’s Artemis moon mission, which aims to return astronauts to the moon. The Lunar Trailblazer mission, set to launch in early 2024, represents an important step forward in our understanding of water on the moon and supports the next era of moon exploration.
