Space and astronomy news
ESA's Prospect package, including drill and a miniaturised laboratory, will fly to the Moon’s South Polar region in search of volatiles, including water ice, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
The existence of water on the Moon was confirmed in 2009 by NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. It primarily exists in the form of ice in the permanently shadowed craters in the polar regions. It was a significant discovery because it meant that future human explorers might be able to harvest the water and use for drinking, oxygen and even rocket fuel. Accessing it remains however, challenging because the polar areas are a particularly harsh and challenging environment.
The search for, and analysis of the distribution of water on and under the lunar surface continues apace and one of the upcoming missions, the European Space Agency’s Prospect mission has just booked its ride to the Moon. In 2027, NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative will journey to the Moon and carry with it the Prospect probe that will include a drill and miniature laboratory.
Once the material is transferred into ProSPA, samples will be placed into a multitude of sections like a carousel with multiple ovens, they will be sealed and heated to extract the cold trapped volatiles. It will measure the nature and concentration of volatiles from the gasses released as the samples are heated. It will also test processes for the extraction of the volatiles for future missions.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump’s ‘drill baby drill’ plan: The wrong answer to the right questionsAli Velshi shares reporting from the Washington Post that Donald Trump referred to the Heritage Foundation's policy plans as 'what our movement will do' in the early days of the drafting of Project 2025, as well as other new details that show Trump's awareness of the plan and its authors.
Read more »
RFK Jr., environmental warrior, backs the ‘drill, baby, drill’ ticketAs an activist and lawyer, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent decades battling for many environmental protections that Trump has worked to undo as president.
Read more »
Trump’s energy promises: The realities of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government
Read more »
NASA teams up with energy giant BP to drill for hidden Moon, Mars resourcesThe new agreement by NASA will enable the use of digital models and simulations to visualize equipment in challenging, remote locations.
Read more »
The next full moon is a supermoon blue moonThe next full moon is a supermoon, a blue moon; the sturgeon moon; the red, corn, green corn, barley, herb, grain, or dog moon; Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Purnima; and Tu B'Av.
Read more »
August full moon guide 2024: Full Sturgeon Moon occults SaturnJesse Emspak is a freelance journalist who has contributed to several publications, including Space.com, Scientific American, New Scientist, Smithsonian.com and Undark. He focuses on physics and cool technologies but has been known to write about the odder stories of human health and science as it relates to culture.
Read more »