ESA signals progress in hunting for water on the Moon

It is developing a map based on temperature data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The agency writes:

“ESA is preparing a surface sampling payload that will prospect for lunar water among other resources. It is due to be flown to the Moon aboard Russia’s Luna-27 lander in 2025.”

“The payload is called Package for Resource Observation and in-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Commercial exploitation and Transportation, or PROSPECT. A drill called ProSEED will extract samples, expected to contain water ice and other chemicals that can become trapped at the extremely low temperatures expected; typically -150 °C beneath the surface to lower than -200 °C in some areas.”

Samples taken by the drill, says the ESA, will then be passed to the ProSPA chemical laboratory, being developed by an Open University team, for follow-up analysis of the chemical traces. This will test processes that could be applied for resource extraction in the future, it adds.

The ESA also highlights the work of one of the Open University team, Hannah Sargeant, for developing an improved method of extracting lunar water in support of the project. She has been named in Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 Europe 2020 Innovation list for her work.

Image: ESA – Pictured above is the PROSPECT system concept and its functions.