British tech to hunt for water on the Moon in first private mission
THE first private mission to the Moon could land on the lunar surface next month, carrying British technology.
The US space company Astrobotic is scheduled to launch the vessel from Cape Canaveral in Florida next Monday, and will attempt to land on Feb 23.
If successful, it will be the first time a commercial company has made a soft landing on the Moon. The private Japanese firm ispace attempted a landing last April, but crashed on the surface after misjudging its altitude.
Unlike previous Moon missions, which have been led by national space agencies, Peregrine Mission One (PM1) marks an historic change in space use, which could allow any private entity to reach the Moon.
The lander is carrying payloads for Nasa, to help the agency prepare for humans returning to the Moon from 2025 under the Artemis mission.
Among its payload is an instrument developed by British scientists to hunt for water in the thin lunar atmosphere near the surface. It is the first time British technology has reached the Moon.
The Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) – partly designed by The Open University and the Science and Technology Facilities Council RAL Space – will identify water molecules by measuring their mass as they pass through the sensor.
The instrument will pave the way for future missions to the lunar poles, where it will be crucial to provide water for astronauts and future colonies. The mission is part of Nasa’s broader Artemis programme, which plans to return humans to the Moon in 2025.
Dr Simeon Barber of the Open University said new data in the last decade has “overturned the Apollo-era notion of the Moon as a bone-dry place”.
“We have seen hints of ice at the cold lunar poles, and suggestions of water globally.”
He added: “We are interested in how these water molecules travel through the lunar atmosphere ... eventually reaching the super cold polar regions where they accumulate slowly as frost or ice layers.”
Once on the surface, the PITMS is designed to operate for roughly two weeks – or one lunar day.
Chris Howe, production and software group leader at STFC RAL Space, said: “The utilisation of the Moon’s water could prove vital for future human endeavours in space.”
He added that, while PITMS will only operate for a single lunar day, “its legacy will be felt for years.”
PITMS will blast off aboard a Vulcan Centaur rocket, built by US aerospace manufacturer United Launch Alliance.
It is part of Nasa’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which aims to involve commercial companies in the exploration of the moon.
Libby Jackson, head of space exploration at the UK Space Agency, said: “Witnessing the first instrument from the UK, and indeed Europe, launch to the moon is a hugely exciting moment.”
‘The utilisation of the Moon’s water could prove vital for future human endeavours in space’