NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft is set to embark on a groundbreaking mission to detect water on the moon. Equipped with the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM), developed by the University of Oxford and contributed by the UK Space Agency, the spacecraft aims to determine the abundance, location, and form of water on Earth’s satellite. This addition complements the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3), integrated with the spacecraft last year. The Lunar Trailblazer program, led by Cal Tech, is scheduled for launch no earlier than early 2024, as a secondary payload on NASA’s second Intuitive Machines lunar lander mission.
The Lunar Trailblazer’s primary objective is to scan the lunar surface using the HVM3 to analyze wavelengths of sunlight reflected off water forms. Additionally, the LTM instrument will be utilized to survey the terrain. By comparing readings at different times of day, the spacecraft could potentially identify variations in the amount of water present on the moon. This mission holds significant importance as the existence of water on the moon has long been a subject of scientific exploration. Earlier this year, Chinese scientists discovered water in impact glass brought back from the moon by China’s Chang’e-5 lunar mission, further fueling curiosity about the presence of water on Earth’s celestial neighbor.
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Spacecraft Equipped with Water-Detecting Instrument
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, set to launch in early 2024, will be equipped with a piece of equipment designed to detect water. The Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM), built by the University of Oxford and contributed by the UK Space Agency, will join the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) on the spacecraft. These instruments will enable scientists to determine the abundance, location, and form of water on the moon.
The Lunar Trailblazer program, led by Cal Tech, will be launched as a secondary payload on NASA’s second Intuitive Machines lunar lander mission. It will accompany NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1, which will search for samples below the lunar surface. Once in lunar orbit, the Lunar Trailblazer will use the HVM3 to scan wavelengths of sunlight reflected off of water forms on the lunar surface. The LTM instrument will scan the terrain, and by comparing readings at different times of the day, it could detect variations in the amount of water on the moon.
Earlier this year, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered water in impact glass brought from the moon to Earth by China’s Chang’e-5 lunar mission. Impact glass is formed when meteorites impact the lunar surface and melt rock. While it has been proposed that a hydrated layer exists at depth in lunar soils, a reservoir for this hydrated layer has yet to be identified. The Lunar Trailblazer mission aims to further our understanding of water on the moon and support future moon exploration.
This mission will precede NASA’s Artemis moon mission, which aims to return astronauts to the moon. NASA has been making efforts to internationalize the Artemis mission and its precursor missions. The combination of the Lunar Trailblazer’s sophisticated instruments will provide valuable insights into the presence of water on the moon and contribute to the next era of moon exploration.
In conclusion, the addition of the Lunar Thermal Mapper to NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft is a significant development in our quest to understand the presence of water on the moon. By combining the capabilities of the HVM3 and LTM instruments, scientists will be able to determine the abundance, location, and form of water on the lunar surface. This information will be crucial for future moon missions, including NASA’s ambitious Artemis program. The Lunar Trailblazer mission will provide valuable insights into the water cycle on the moon and support the exploration of our celestial neighbor.
