12 June 2020
NASA picks Astrobotic to fly VIPER to the Moon
NASA has awarded Astrobotic of Pittsburgh $199.5 million to deliver NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the Moon’s South Pole in late 2023. The water-seeking mobile ...
November 2019
PROSPECTing for lunar polar volatiles
... Lunar South Pole. Areas never exceeding temperatures of ca.100K provide an environment that supports the accumulation of lunar volatile deposits. About the author Dr Roland Trautner is part of the Lunar Lander Team in the Development Projects Group...
March 2016
Searching for water in the Solar System
... for human colonisation but their exploration offers an opportunity for better understanding the origin and distribution of volatiles in the inner Solar system. Reconnaissance observations for human exploration and origin science are at the core...
March 2016
Resource Prospector – a Lunar Pathfinder
... lunar polar regions. This roving platform will carry a Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) and Near Infrared Volatiles Spectrometer System (NIRVSS). Entering permanent shadows. RP15 will navigate simulated ‘Permanently-Shadowed Regions’ (PSRs) to aid...
May 2020
Developing a commercial market for small sample return
...our planet, while water and other carbon-containing volatiles harbour the raw materials needed to support human...the sample return canister could have a cooling system to preserve volatile substances. It’s not just a self-contained spacecraft - it’s ...
October 2019
Making the most of Blockchain in space
..., each with a slightly different take on the concept. But while the world has been focused on the volatility and excitement of currencies, the computer code that underlies digital money is being put to use for other...
