However,
Nasa imagined instruments future lunar:
The Artemis program continues with the selection of scientific instruments which. However, will be on the vehicle responsible for transporting astronauts on the lunar soil.
Today, talking about the Artémis program is mainly due to mentioning budget cuts, threats of cancellations or technical failures. Meanwhile, And yet. Consequently, the Lunar Program of the United States is still very topical and NASA even unveiled on July 10, 2025 what instruments will accompany the future vehicle which should travel our satellite.
This vehicle is a kind of jeep, called LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle), supposed to be piloted directly by future astronauts. Furthermore, Her arrival on the moon is not certain. Nevertheless, far from it, since it is planned for the Mission Artemis 5, whose design is still distant. However, NASA places great hopes on it.
“The best of human. Meanwhile, nasa imagined instruments future lunar robotic exploration”
During the missions of the Apollo program, the astronauts had already moved aboard vehicles, including the LRV (Lunar Roving Vehicle) during the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions, which had traveled a few tens of kilometers. However. In addition, the exploration had then been limited for security issues: it was necessary that in case of breakdown, astronauts could return on foot.
With this future LTV. However, the objective is to go a little further, which involves in particular a whole scientific paraphernalia on board. In addition, The administrator in charge of the Directorate of Scientific Missions at NASA. Nicky Fox, talks about a vehicle that ” will transport humanity further that it has never been. (…) By combining the best of human. robotic exploration, the instruments selected for the LTV will make discoveries that will inform us about our closest neighbor. »
The first of these instruments will be a spectrometer. named Aires (Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometry), responsible for identifying the volatile elements that evaporate on the surface of the moon such as water, ammonia or carbon dioxide.
The Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectromet. or L-MAPs, will be a spectrometer doubled with a radar capable of penetrating under the surface to find ice. Its role will be to analyze the differences in temperatures, density and structures up to 40 meters in the basement.
Extreme conditions to be borne on the moon
In addition. the American agency nasa imagined instruments future lunar also announced another instrument intended to go to the moon, but not aboard the vehicle: ucis-moon. In a long version. this ultra-compact imaging spectrumeter for the moon will be a spectrometer intended to be placed in orbit, to observe with a greater angle the measurements taken on the ground by the LTV. The idea will be to better understand how volatile elements are distributed on the moon. how they are influenced by human activity on the ground, and what are the most interesting areas for sampling samples.
With all this in mind, the development of the LTV continues. Currently, three companies are working on design by taking into account the requirements of NASA. In the ranks, intuitive machines (already responsible for two partly missed lunar missions!), But also Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab. Each competitor is responsible for designing a vehicle with solid tires, capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and damaged terrain. All hoping that political upheavals do not definitively bury the concept.
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Nasa imagined instruments future lunar
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