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Astronomy and space

Astronomy and space

Returning to the Moon with gusto

12 Apr 2019 James Dacey
Space gateway

Astronauts from the Apollo era needed “fast reactions like cowboys”. But the astronauts retuning to the Moon will need a much deeper understanding of the science and technology, especially the geology.

That’s the opinion of Matthias Maurer, a freshly trained astronaut with the European Space Agency, who was speaking today at the 2019 general assembly of the European Geosciences Union.

Maurer – a materials scientist who became certified for space travel space in 2018 – was the keynote speaker in a session on lunar science and upcoming lunar missions. The return of humans to the Moon is a question of when, not if, with all the major space players investigating the possibilities. Maurer says his preference is the creation of a permanent base in the same way humans have explored Antarctica.

He acknowledges, however, that there are many technical challenges to overcome. Some of these will be addressed at a new Luna facility due to open at ESA’s Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. Researchers at that centre will design the technology needed for the future lunar village, tackling questions such as: What’s the best way to produce oxygen and energy for a Moon base?; How can astronauts live and work for longer periods of time in reduced gravity?; and how can we to improve communication between astronauts, operations teams, and the research scientists on Earth?

Matthias Maurer

It was interesting to hear Maurer speak about it taking “10 times as long” to carry out basic tasks in the rigid pressurised space suits currently worn by ESA astronauts. Improvement may be coming though in the form of flexible skin suits where the textile itself would have to maintain the pressure.

Lunar challenges

Following Maurer was Chris Russell, who led the team designing the magnetometer on the SpaceIL mission, which unfortunately crashed into the Moon during its landing manoeuvre yesterday.  Considering the circumstances, Russell was in good spirits and applauded the Israeli private organisation for its endeavour on a limited budget. “They fell victim to the fact it’s very hard to go land on the Moon,” he said. Russell had no further information about the causes of the crash or whether SpaceIL will have a second attempt at a Moon landing, though he  believes they could be successful should they get the funding.

In the meantime though the Moon missions are now coming thick and fast with China and India both launching robotic missions before the end of 2019. As a stepping stone to a permanent lunar base, ESA is currently working with the Japanese and Canadian space agencies on the HERACLES project. The concept is to land a 1800 kg rover, which will be controlled by astronauts located in the Deep Space Gateway – a lunar-orbitting space station currently being developed by NASA and partners.

Russia returns

Finally, it was also interesting to hear about Russia’s plans, from Igor Mitrofanov of Russia’s Institute for Space Research (IKI) in Moscow. Over the next 5 years, Russia has three Moon missions to investigate the cold southern polar region.  Astrobiologists believe that the chemistry of the lunar permafrost may reveal clues to the origins of life on Earth.

Although the origins of life is still a highly contested question, some believe that it could have been seeded by complex molecules contained in asteroids that bombarded the Earth. The mechanism through which life then emerged is not clear, but any “preorganic” molecules preserved in the lunar ice may provide clues.

LUNA-25 scheduled for 2021 will be Russia’s first mission to the Moon since the USSR launched LUNA-24 in 1976. It will be swiftly followed by an orbitor mission (LUNA-26) in 2023, then another lander (LUNA-27) in 2024. In addition to the science goals, these missions will also test a new “soft lander” technology, which Mitrofanov compared to a reverse parking system you find in cars. If successful, this technology could assist future astronauts to guide themselves to a safe landing, clear of hazards such rocks and steep slopes.

I caught up with Mitrofanov after the event, so you can hear all about Russia’s return to space in an upcoming episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast.

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