Space Exploration:I the Return to the Moon

sis_16_RZ.qxq:Layout 1 31.08.2010 18:34 Uhr Seite 10 s on mm Co ia ed im ik W e rc u so e g a im r; u to ia V c u L f o y s te r u o c e g a m Space exploration:I the return to the Moon Have you ever looked up at the Moon in a clear night sky and wondered about the very few people who have walked on its surface? What did we learn, and what are we still unsure about? When might humans return to the Moon? Adam Baker investigates. General science n 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz although we can study the Earth The space exploration IAldrin became the first humans to more easily, its surface has been race of the 1960s was a walk on the surface of another astro- altered by weathering, whereas the very exciting period and nomical body: the Moon. Over the surface of the Moon has remained important in the develop- next three years, ten more American more or less unchanged since its ment of a number of tech- astronauts landed on the Moon as formation. nologies; the Moon land- part of the USA’s Apollo programme. · The overall chemical composition ings were a major high- Since then – nearly 40 years ago – and internal structure of the Moon. light. After a gap of sever- there have been no further manned This will start to tell us how the al decades, people are missions to the Moon. Why is that? Moon originated, and whether it again planning to explore And when might people return to the formed from bits of Earth debris, as the Moon – this article Moon? some theories claim. considers how and why. In the 1960s and 70s, the Apollo · Whether resources such as water The article could be used programme and the unmanned are available on the Moon, which as the starting point of dis- Russian Luna and US Surveyor mis- would enable astronauts to use the cussions in science or sions concentrated on the surface of Moon as a base for exploring other technology lessons, for the near side of the Moon and left planets. example on the history of many key questions unanswered, in Today, space technology is seen as science. It could also be particular: mostly addressing problems on Earth, used in science clubs or · The age of the Moon and how this such as climate change; the European similar activities. is linked to the age of the rest of Space Agency (ESA), for example, has Eric Deeson, UK the Solar System. The rocky surface launched many satellites to observe REVIEW of the Moon is key to this research: the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and 10 Science in School Issue 16 : Autumn 2010 www.scienceinschool.org sis_16_RZ.qxq:Layout 1 31.08.2010 18:34 Uhr Seite 11 Cutting-edge science The locations of spacecraft that have landed on the moon. Green trian- gles represent Apollo missions, yellow are NASA Surveyor missions, and red are Russian Luna spacecraft Smart-1, ESA’s lunar orbiter mission Image courtesy of National Space Science Data Center / NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Image courtesy of ESA ice capsw1. Nonetheless, after years of strategyw4 was agreed between 14 space Little data from Chang’e-1 has been inaction in lunar exploration, the past agencies and organisations, encom- released to the international commu- decade has again seen many countries passing the US vision, as well as nity, however. sending missions to the Moon. space exploration plans from other In April 2008, the Indian In 2003, ESA sent the robotic countries such as the UKw5. Chandrayaan-1 orbiter was launched (unmanned) Smart-1 missionw2 to September 2007 saw the launch of to address many of the same ques- orbit the Moon, to test technology for the Japanese Kaguya orbiter mission tions as the Kaguya orbiter. sending missions accurately beyond (originally known as Selene). While Additionally, Chandrayaan-1 carried Earth’s orbit, and to conduct basic sci- orbiting the Moon’s surface, it a radar instrument, allowing scientists ence such as X-ray observations of the searched (unsuccessfully) for water to peer into dark craters near the Moon. Shortly afterwards, ESA also on the lunar surface, measured the lunar poles for the first time. These launched the Mars Express mission, strength of the lunar gravitational radar measurements suggested that its first mission to orbit another plan- field using a small satellite, and stud- water ice was present at the lunar et, with a package of scientific instru- ied the chemistry of the lunar surface. south pole. This was confirmed in ments. These missions marked the Kaguya also imaged the lunar surface 2009 when the US LRO orbiter fired a reawakening of interest in space in visible wavelengths, generated rocket, the LCROSS impactor, into a exploration. maps of much of the surface, and south pole crater: instruments on the In the USA in 2004, President George measured the radiation in orbit to orbiter detected evidence of water ice W. Bush directed NASA to return to assess the risk to future astronauts. in the particles that were thrown into the Moon and build a long-term out- The Chinese orbiter Chang’e-1, space by the crashw6, w7. Data from the post on the lunar surface as part of launched a month later, also studied LRO orbiter even showed where – 37 his vision for space explorationw3. the topography and chemistry of the years before – a Russian lunar rover Subsequently, a global exploration lunar surface and searched for water. had come to restw8. www.scienceinschool.org Science in School Issue 16 : Autumn 2010 11 sis_16_RZ.qxq:Layout 1 31.08.2010 18:34 Uhr Seite 12 Image courtesy of NASA Kennedy Space Center (NASA-KSC) Image courtesy of NASA Launch of Apollo 11 in 1969 This is one of the few photographs show- ing Neil Armstrong on the Moon (he carried the camera most of the time). He is reflected in Buzz Aldrin's visor build bases and transmitting the data directly back to Earth via radio links. Already, such missions are being planned. China and India intend to follow their recent orbiter missions with robotic landers (Chang’e-2 and Chandrayaan-2, respectively). To build on these and other lunar missions and to cover a larger portion of the unexplored lunar surface, the UK is developing small, low-cost spacecraft. With their automated guidance systems and miniaturised instruments, These recent missions, therefore, missions, orbiting far above the these spacecraft would enable regular, have gone some way to addressing Moon’s surface, cannot answer. What, inexpensive, small missions to the the questions left unanswered in the for example, is the effect of lunar dust Moon – starting as early as 2014. With 1970s, providing information about on people, vehicles and telescopes? the support of ESA, other European the chemical composition of more of Can we survive on the Moon for peri- nations are also studying advanced the Moon’s surface, and hinting at the ods as long as several weeks? What lunar landersw9. These will carry a presence of water and other resources new technology, such as power wide range of technologies and can that might be found at the cold, dark sources and thermal insulation, is test systems suitable for carrying astro- south pole (below 100 K). More infor- needed to help astronauts survive nauts and for future Mars expeditions, mation is still to come – some of the comfortably when working in the but will be larger and more costly, and extensive maps generated by Japanese, dark, extremely cold lunar polar are not fully funded yet. Chinese, Indian and American orbiters craters? Although the US vision for space are still being processed. The answers to these questions will exploration – with a manned lunar However, to fully understand the require landers – robots to land on the base by 2020 – sounds exciting, nature of the Moon and its environ- surface of the Moon and directly NASA and the US government have ment – and potentially to prepare for measure the properties of dust, rock recently decided that their plans are people to visit and stay safely on the and the lunar environment (such as unaffordable. Instead, it will be robot- Moon for long periods, making astro- moonquakes) over extended periods. ic lunar missions that characterise the nomical observations, investigating Unlike the unmanned missions of the lunar environment and map available the lunar geology, preparing for more 1960s and 70s, future lander missions resources, providing a logical, faster distant space exploration or even would need to investigate the entire and more affordable route to a sus- mining lunar resources – we need lunar surface, carrying out scientific tained presence on our nearest neigh- information that even these recent studies, seeking the best places to bour. Although it will probably be 12 Science in School Issue 16 : Autumn 2010 www.scienceinschool.org sis_16_RZ.qxq:Layout 1 31.08.2010 18:34 Uhr Seite 13 Cutting-edge science Image courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL) Image courtesy of SSTL Image courtesy of SSTL The far side of the Moon, a view of the The UK’s planned MoonLITE orbiter The UK’s planned MoonRaker lander lunar surface not possible from Earth, has four penetrators – small daughter would give accurate indications of the taken from the Galileo spacecraft in spacecraft to be fired into the Moon’s age of the Moon, sampling regions which 1990 surface no mission has yet visited some time before the 13th human water on moon’, see The Guardian watch?v=oXxGE4tBBEA lands on the Moon, robotic missions website (www.guardian.co.uk) or NASA’s archive for lunar mission are key to bringing that day ever clos- use the direct link: data: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/ er.

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