NASA launches satellite for mission to map water on the moon
On Wednesday, a NASA satellite the size of a dishwasher was launched into space from Florida with the mission to identify places on the moon’s surface where water exists. The Lunar Trailblazer orbiter, built by Lockheed Martin’s space division, was carried into space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. This satellite, weighing about 440 pounds and measuring about 3.5 metres wide when its solar panels are fully deployed, is designed to map and locate water on the moon’s surface.
While the lunar surface is often considered dry, previous measurements have shown the presence of water in some sun-lit locations. Scientists believe that significant amounts of water, possibly in the form of ice, could be present in the cold and permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles. The Lunar Trailblazer will explore these regions to determine the form, distribution, and abundance of water, which could be crucial for future moon exploration and potential long-term lunar bases.
The satellite is equipped with two instruments – the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) and the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3). The LTM will map and measure the lunar surface temperature, while the HVM3 will analyze the surface for the presence of water. By studying the relationship between surface temperature and water presence, scientists hope to better understand the movement of water on the moon and its potential sources.
One of the key goals of the Lunar Trailblazer mission is to investigate the origin of lunar water, which could provide insights into the origin of water on Earth. Solar wind interacting with lunar minerals and comets or meteorites delivering water over billions of years are among the proposed sources of lunar water. NASA estimates that there could be hundreds of millions of tonnes of water on the moon, making it a valuable resource for both scientific research and future human exploration.
By mapping and studying the presence of water on the moon, the Lunar Trailblazer satellite aims to pave the way for future missions to the lunar surface. Whether for scientific discovery or as a vital resource for astronauts, the exploration of lunar water holds great promise for advancing our understanding of the moon and its potential for supporting human activities in space.
