Next stop: the Moon
1
F asten your seat belts, next stop the Moon! This was the opening sentiment of the 4th International Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon (ICEUM4), at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Over 150 lunar explorers from around the world gathered in July 2000 for this week-long forum organized by the Inter- national Lunar Exploration Working Group. The ILEWG is composed of representatives from space agencies around the world, including most ESA member nations. Established in April 1995, the group is developing an international strategy for the exploration of the Moon. The ICEUM conferences, held every two years, are designed to facilitate international co-ordina- tion and co-operation and to draw up a decla- ration to help plan our continued exploration. The first day was set aside for presentations given primarily by “Young Lunar Explorers”, aged 35 or younger. After a series of presenta- tions on topics as diverse as remote sensing and marketing, the afternoon was devoted to dis- cussions aimed at producing recommendations for the final conference declaration. This ses- sion demonstrated the growing interest in the Moon in recent years, stimulated in part by the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions. There is now wide-ranging support in the lunar community for a long-term programme of exploration, evolving from the current robotic missions (including sample return) towards complementary robotic/crewed exploration and ultimately a permanent human presence. An important step in the implementation of the ICEUM4 declaration was the creation of the Lunar Explorers’ Society. LUNEX will pro- mote programmes of research, exploration and outreach and is open to everyone interested in lunar science and exploration. The founding conference will be divided into two meetings, one at the European Geophysical Society meet- ing in Nice, the other probably at the 32nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, both in March 2001. The remainder of the week comprised pre- sentations reviewing the current status of lunar studies and proposing ideas for future work for the final conference declaration. These ranged from historical reviews to futuristic visions of a permanent human presence on the Moon. The current status of lunar exploration was also a strong theme throughout the conference, high- lighted by a series of presentations on ESA’s SMART-1 and Japan’s Lunar-A and SELENE missions. Bernard Foing (ESTEC), Project Scientist on SMART-1, kicked off the proceedings with an overview of the SMART-1 mission goals and science. SMART-1 will test new technologies to be used on future Cornerstone missions. Due for launch at the end of 2002, it will orbit the Moon for six months. Manuel Grande (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), summa- rized the status of the D-CIXS X-ray fluores- cence spectrometer, which will use a new swept-charge device technology to produce the first global map of the Moon in X-rays. Also onboard will be a micro-imaging camera (AMIE) and an infrared spectrometer (SIR). Jean-Luc Josset (CSEM, Switzerland), PI of AMIE, gave an overview of this small, high- resolution CCD camera, which will provide 30 m/pixel resolution for selected areas of the Moon’s surface. It will also acquire limited spectral information at visual/near-infrared wavelengths. A Nathues (MPAe, Germany), Co-Investigator on SIR, highlighted the scien- tific advances expected from this instrument. SMART then Lunar-A The next Japanese mission to the Moon, Lunar-A, will be launched shortly after SMART-1, in February 2003. H Mizutani (ISAS) gave an update on this penetrator mis- sion, which will conduct the first surface-sci- ence measurements since Apollo and Luna. The two penetrators should give a firm esti- mate of the size of the Moon’s core and pro- vide heat-flow measurements. Next will come the SELENE-A orbiter in 2004. Y Nagae (NASDA) and M Kato (ISAS) described the variety of remote-sensing instruments and 14 different science experiments to fly on this spacecraft. SELENE-A has a nominal lifetime of one year and will have a polar orbit around the Moon at an altitude of 100 km. Various designs for further lunar missions are under study in the USA, Europe, Japan and Russia, while India has also recently declared its intention to send a spacecraft to the Moon. During the conference, five task groups were set up to discuss aspects to be included in the ICEUM4 declaration. Important points in the declaration included: ● The space agencies of the world were urged to focus their efforts to promote lunar explo- ration and development initiatives. ● Governments are encouraged to promote and support the creation of technologies, resources and infrastructure required for lunar research and development. ● Important scientific objectives are the char- acterization of the lunar interior and the return of samples from key locations. Opportunities for higher resolution chemical and mineralogi- cal mapping from orbit should be pursued. ● The Moon is an important test bed for demonstration of technologies to be used in the exploration of Mercury and other solid bodies. ● Technology for further investigations of lunar resources and their potential exploitation should be developed. This should include investigations of the possible deposits of water ice at the lunar poles. ● The protection of the lunar environment is of high importance, although it appears that local- ized resource exploration and utilisation can be conducted without global adverse effects. ● Future lunar exploration and development must be a global endeavour, and should include the younger generation. The final statement of the declaration is: “Development of human capability on the Moon will be the next major step in humani- ty’s emergence into the universe.” The declara- tion will be a focus for LUNEX and progress will be reported at ICEUM5, part of the World Space Congress in Houston in October 2002. ● Andrew Ball FRAS, Institut für Planetologie, Mün- ster, Germany. Sarah Dunkin FRAS, RAL. David Heather, Solar System Division, ESA/ESTEC. Meeting report 6.20 December 2000 Vol 41 Next stop: the Moon Andrew J Ball, Sarah K Dunkin and David J Heather report on optimistic and innovative ideas raised at the Fourth International Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon, which resulted in a declaration reviewing the current state of lunar exploration and setting targets for future work. Further information ● ESA SP-462: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on the Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon ● ICEUM4: solarsystem.estec.esa.nl/ Moon2000/ilewg.4_frame.htm ● ILEWG: ilewg.jsc.nasa.gov/ ● SMART-1: sci.esa.int/smart-1/ ● Lunar-A: www.isas.ac.jp/e/enterp/ missions/lunar-a/cont.html ● Selene: yyy.tksc.nasda.go.jp/Home/ Projects/SELENE/index_e.html
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Transcript of Next stop: the Moon
Fasten your seat belts, next stop theMoon! This was the opening sentimentof the 4th International Conference on
Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon(ICEUM4), at ESA’s European Space Researchand Technology Centre in Noordwijk, theNetherlands. Over 150 lunar explorers fromaround the world gathered in July 2000 forthis week-long forum organized by the Inter-national Lunar Exploration Working Group.
The ILEWG is composed of representativesfrom space agencies around the world, includingmost ESA member nations. Established in April1995, the group is developing an internationalstrategy for the exploration of the Moon. TheICEUM conferences, held every two years, aredesigned to facilitate international co-ordina-tion and co-operation and to draw up a decla-ration to help plan our continued exploration.
The first day was set aside for presentationsgiven primarily by “Young Lunar Explorers”,aged 35 or younger. After a series of presenta-tions on topics as diverse as remote sensing andmarketing, the afternoon was devoted to dis-cussions aimed at producing recommendationsfor the final conference declaration. This ses-sion demonstrated the growing interest in theMoon in recent years, stimulated in part by theClementine and Lunar Prospector missions.There is now wide-ranging support in the lunarcommunity for a long-term programme ofexploration, evolving from the current roboticmissions (including sample return) towardscomplementary robotic/crewed explorationand ultimately a permanent human presence.
An important step in the implementation ofthe ICEUM4 declaration was the creation ofthe Lunar Explorers’ Society. LUNEX will pro-mote programmes of research, exploration andoutreach and is open to everyone interested inlunar science and exploration. The foundingconference will be divided into two meetings,one at the European Geophysical Society meet-ing in Nice, the other probably at the 32ndLunar and Planetary Science Conference,Houston, both in March 2001.
The remainder of the week comprised pre-sentations reviewing the current status of lunarstudies and proposing ideas for future work forthe final conference declaration. These rangedfrom historical reviews to futuristic visions of apermanent human presence on the Moon. Thecurrent status of lunar exploration was also a
strong theme throughout the conference, high-lighted by a series of presentations on ESA’sSMART-1 and Japan’s Lunar-A and SELENEmissions.
Bernard Foing (ESTEC), Project Scientist onSMART-1, kicked off the proceedings with anoverview of the SMART-1 mission goals andscience. SMART-1 will test new technologies tobe used on future Cornerstone missions. Duefor launch at the end of 2002, it will orbit theMoon for six months. Manuel Grande(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), summa-rized the status of the D-CIXS X-ray fluores-cence spectrometer, which will use a newswept-charge device technology to produce thefirst global map of the Moon in X-rays. Alsoonboard will be a micro-imaging camera(AMIE) and an infrared spectrometer (SIR).Jean-Luc Josset (CSEM, Switzerland), PI ofAMIE, gave an overview of this small, high-resolution CCD camera, which will provide30 m/pixel resolution for selected areas of theMoon’s surface. It will also acquire limitedspectral information at visual/near-infraredwavelengths. A Nathues (MPAe, Germany),Co-Investigator on SIR, highlighted the scien-tific advances expected from this instrument.
SMART then Lunar-AThe next Japanese mission to the Moon,Lunar-A, will be launched shortly afterSMART-1, in February 2003. H Mizutani(ISAS) gave an update on this penetrator mis-sion, which will conduct the first surface-sci-ence measurements since Apollo and Luna.The two penetrators should give a firm esti-mate of the size of the Moon’s core and pro-vide heat-flow measurements. Next will comethe SELENE-A orbiter in 2004. Y Nagae(NASDA) and M Kato (ISAS) described thevariety of remote-sensing instruments and 14different science experiments to fly on thisspacecraft. SELENE-A has a nominal lifetimeof one year and will have a polar orbit aroundthe Moon at an altitude of 100 km.
Various designs for further lunar missions areunder study in the USA, Europe, Japan andRussia, while India has also recently declaredits intention to send a spacecraft to the Moon.
During the conference, five task groups wereset up to discuss aspects to be included in theICEUM4 declaration. Important points in thedeclaration included:
� The space agencies of the world were urgedto focus their efforts to promote lunar explo-ration and development initiatives.� Governments are encouraged to promoteand support the creation of technologies,resources and infrastructure required for lunarresearch and development.� Important scientific objectives are the char-acterization of the lunar interior and the returnof samples from key locations. Opportunitiesfor higher resolution chemical and mineralogi-cal mapping from orbit should be pursued.� The Moon is an important test bed fordemonstration of technologies to be used in theexploration of Mercury and other solid bodies.� Technology for further investigations oflunar resources and their potential exploitationshould be developed. This should includeinvestigations of the possible deposits of waterice at the lunar poles.� The protection of the lunar environment is ofhigh importance, although it appears that local-ized resource exploration and utilisation can beconducted without global adverse effects.� Future lunar exploration and developmentmust be a global endeavour, and shouldinclude the younger generation.
The final statement of the declaration is:“Development of human capability on theMoon will be the next major step in humani-ty’s emergence into the universe.” The declara-tion will be a focus for LUNEX and progresswill be reported at ICEUM5, part of the WorldSpace Congress in Houston in October 2002. �
Andrew Ball FRAS, Institut für Planetologie, Mün-ster, Germany. Sarah Dunkin FRAS, RAL. DavidHeather, Solar System Division, ESA/ESTEC.
Meeting report
6.20 December 2000 Vol 41
Next stop: the MoonAndrew J Ball, Sarah K Dunkin and David J Heather report on optimistic and innovative ideas raised at theFourth International Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon, which resulted in a declarationreviewing the current state of lunar exploration and setting targets for future work.
Further information� ESA SP-462: Proceedings of theFourth International Conference on theExploration and Utilisation of the Moon� ICEUM4: solarsystem.estec.esa.nl/Moon2000/ilewg.4_frame.htm� ILEWG: ilewg.jsc.nasa.gov/� SMART-1: sci.esa.int/smart-1/� Lunar-A: www.isas.ac.jp/e/enterp/missions/lunar-a/cont.html� Selene: yyy.tksc.nasda.go.jp/Home/Projects/SELENE/index_e.html
