Author Topic: $200m British Lunar Mission about to be approved  (Read 3172 times)

Offline Chris Bergin

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/3501391/Britains-first-mission-to-the-Moon-to-probe-mysterious-moonquakes.html

Moon Lightweight Interior and Telecommunications Experiment or MoonLITE

Doesn't mention which launch vehicle, but does say it's aligned with NASA.

Government set to approve it next month.
« Last Edit: 11/24/2008 02:59 am by Chris Bergin »
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline rdale

  • Assistant to the Chief Meteorologist
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10390
  • Lansing MI
  • Liked: 1415
  • Likes Given: 171

Offline rdale

  • Assistant to the Chief Meteorologist
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10390
  • Lansing MI
  • Liked: 1415
  • Likes Given: 171

Offline Peter NASA

  • Extreme Veteran
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1294
  • SOMD
  • Liked: 8747
  • Likes Given: 98
Re: $200m British Lunar Mission about to be approved
« Reply #3 on: 11/25/2008 09:35 pm »
Yes, there is some NASA involvement with this. Nice sum of cash from the UK.

Offline iamlucky13

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1657
  • Liked: 105
  • Likes Given: 93
Re: $200m British Lunar Mission about to be approved
« Reply #4 on: 11/26/2008 08:19 pm »
Hehe :D :

Quote
The MoonLITE spacecraft will fire four suitcase-sized penetrator probes into different points around the lunar surface. Travelling at around the speed of sound, the dart shaped probes will pierce up to six feet into the surface.

Anyway, looks like an interesting, low cost approach. Hopefull the penetrators work better than the Deep Space 2 impactors that were carried on the Mars Polar Lander (their failure was separate from the failure of the MPL).

I think the telecommunications part is a result of the NASA cooperation, but it's unclear if the orbiter would be intended to last until 2020, when it could support Constellation landings.

Offline simonbp

  • Science Guy
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7138
  • Liked: 314
  • Likes Given: 183
Re: $200m British Lunar Mission about to be approved
« Reply #5 on: 11/27/2008 03:31 am »
Anyway, looks like an interesting, low cost approach. Hopefull the penetrators work better than the Deep Space 2 impactors that were carried on the Mars Polar Lander (their failure was separate from the failure of the MPL).

I think the telecommunications part is a result of the NASA cooperation, but it's unclear if the orbiter would be intended to last until 2020, when it could support Constellation landings.

The MPL failure was due to the batteries running out during the trans-martian cruise; this is obviously much less of an issue for MoonLITE. The telecommunications part probably will be used with the International Lunar Network, and also possibly Chandrayaan-2 (as part of a deal for the PSLV?)...

I wonder if Griffin's deal (a British CxP astronaut in exchange for MoonLITE) will hold...

Simon ;) 

Offline sammie

  • Veteran
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 553
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: $200m British Lunar Mission about to be approved
« Reply #6 on: 11/28/2008 02:39 am »
It will be second independent Moon mission to be launched in the near future by a ESA member. Earlier German announced plans for a seperate probe as well.

Not sure what lessons to draw from these decisions. Both Germany and the UK have rather successful small satellite builders, SSTL and OHB. I guess this is a more direct return on government funding then money sent to ESA, which might not end up with these smaller companies....
"The dreams ain't broken downhere, they're just walking with a limp"

Offline Blackstar

  • Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15291
  • Liked: 7832
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: $200m British Lunar Mission about to be approved
« Reply #7 on: 11/28/2008 09:38 pm »
It will be second independent Moon mission to be launched in the near future by a ESA member. Earlier German announced plans for a seperate probe as well.

Not sure what lessons to draw from these decisions. Both Germany and the UK have rather successful small satellite builders, SSTL and OHB. I guess this is a more direct return on government funding then money sent to ESA, which might not end up with these smaller companies....

Your interpretation is that this is a result of industrial concerns.  But another interpretation is that ESA has no scientific interest in the Moon, thus resulting in member countries seeking to go it alone.  I'm not sure that's right, but there's no indication that ESA shares NASA's interest in Moon missions.

Meanwhile, on a somewhat related topic, India is having problems with Chandrayaan:  http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11006.165

« Last Edit: 11/28/2008 10:50 pm by James Lowe1 »

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1