Say cheese, Moon. We’re coming in for a close-up.
NASA's Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies, or SCALPSS, will collect imagery of the interaction between the Moon's surface and Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander. One of the four cameras is visible here.As Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander descends toward the Moon, four tiny NASA cameras will be trained on the lunar surface, collecting imagery of how the surface changes from interactions with the spacecraft’s engine plume.
These images of the Moon’s surface won’t just be a “gee-whiz” novelty. As trips to the Moon increase and the number of payloads touching down in proximity to one another grows, scientists and engineers need to be able to accurately predict the effects of landings. Under Artemis, NASA intends to collaborate with commercial and international partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. On this initiative delivery, SCALPSS 1.0 is purely focused on how the lander alters the surface of the Moon during landing. It will begin capturing imagery from before the time the lander’s plume begins interacting with the surface until after the landing is complete.
But this is a chance for researchers to see how well SCALPSS will work as the U.S. advances into a future where Human-Landing-Systems-class spacecraft will start making trips to the Moon.
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