A pioneering thermal imaging camera built by the University of Oxford is about to launch aboard NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission, aiming to locate water sources on the Moon.
This small spacecraft will scan the lunar surface for hidden water ice, particularly in shadowed craters at the South Pole, where future astronauts might find a sustainable supply. Using cutting-edge sensors, including the UK-developed Lunar Thermal Mapper, the mission will generate the most detailed water maps yet, providing crucial data for future exploration and deep-space travel.
Lunar Trailblazer’s Mission to Map Moon’s Water
On Wednesday, February 26, a thermal imaging camera designed by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics will launch to the Moon as part of NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission. This mission aims to map sources of water on the Moon, helping scientists understand the lunar water cycle and providing crucial data for future robotic and human exploration.
Scanning the Moon: Cutting-Edge Instruments
Once in orbit, the 200 kg (~440 lbs) spacecraft — about the size of a washing machine — will scan the Moon’s surface 12 times a day at a resolution of 50 meters (~165 feet). Using state-of-the-art instruments, it will focus on key lunar features, including permanently shadowed craters at the Moon’s South Pole, which may contain vast amounts of water ice — potentially 600 million metric tons. If confirmed, this ice could be purified for drinking water or processed into fuel and breathable oxygen, making long-term lunar missions more viable.
Oxford’s Lunar Thermal Mapper
A key component of this mission is the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM), developed by Oxford’s Planetary Experiments Group. This advanced instrument will measure surface temperatures and analyze the minerals that make up the Moon’s terrain, helping confirm both the presence and location of water. LTM will work alongside NASA/JPL’s High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) to create the most detailed water maps of the lunar surface ever produced.
Hitchhiking to the Moon: The Low-Cost Approach
Lunar Trailblazer was a NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) selection in 2019, which provides opportunities for low-cost science spacecraft to ride-share with selected primary missions. The spacecraft will launch as a secondary payload on a planned lunar lander mission led by Intuitive Machines, effectively hitchhiking on the larger spacecraft, which will attempt a soft landing on the Moon.
Since the spacecraft has a relatively small engine, its planned trajectory will use the gravity of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to guide it to the final orbit — a technique called low-energy transfer. The momentum provided by the rocket booster will propel the spacecraft past the Moon and into deep space before it is pulled back by gravity. The spacecraft will then use small thruster bursts to slowly correct its orbit until it is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the Moon’s surface. In all, Lunar Trailblazer should take between four and seven months to arrive in its final orbit.
UK’s Role in Space Exploration
The LTM was constructed by the Planetary Experiments Group at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics, with £3.1 million funding from the UK Space Agency and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). For the group, building the LTM is the latest achievement in a 50-year history of developing components for spaceflight and infrared thermal mapping cameras, including for missions to Mars, Saturn, and the Moon. With the LTM’s components being produced by various UK academic institutes and companies (details below), this collective effort highlights the nation’s leading role in space exploration and scientific research.
Expert Insights
Professor Neil Bowles, Instrument Scientist for LTM at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics, said:
“The Lunar Thermal Mapper was designed, built, and tested here in Oxford and the launch is an important moment for the whole of our team. The measurements of temperature will help confirm the presence of the water signal in HVM3’s measurements and the two instruments will work together to map the composition of the Moon, showing us details that have only been hinted at previously.”
The mission could also reveal why the Moon has water in the first place. Possible reasons include comets and ‘wet asteroids’ crashing into the Moon; ancient volcanic eruptions disgorging water vapor from the Moon’s interior; or hydrogen within the solar wind combining with oxygen on the Moon. Lunar Trailblazer’s findings will shed light on which hypothesis is more likely.
Lauren Taylor, Major Projects Lead from The UK Space Agency said:
“The UK Space Agency is thrilled to be a part of NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission. Our work with the University of Oxford to develop the Lunar Thermal Mapper showcases the UK’s leading role in space exploration and scientific research.
“This mission will provide invaluable data on the Moon’s water resources, supporting future human missions and enhancing our understanding of the lunar environment.”
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