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A photo of the moon. NASA has officially announced its official solicitation for small lunar payloads, in anticipation of planned robotic and inhabited missions on the surface of the Moon. The first set of proposals should be submitted by November. ( NASA )
NASA is researching technological and instrumental payloads for the robotic and inhabited missions on the Moon's surface.
NASA calls for lunar instrument and surface technology payloads [19659004] On Thursday, October 18th, the US Space Agency officially announced a call for small payloads, which will be ready for launch no later than December 2021. Submissions are open until 19 November, but it ensures to be selected at a time of next year and then at regular intervals.
This call is part of the plan to send humans back to the moon's surface in 2020 – 50 years after Apollo 17. NASA is also considering launching a lunar footbridge in orbit on the moon to accommodate astronauts and experiments . become the starting point for future missions in deep space.
The Space Agency is specifically researching instruments and technologies that can advance science and exploration on the surface of the Moon. The ideal payload will collect data on the solar wind, the atmosphere, the heat flux inside the Moon, and so on. before the manned missions.
"The strategy is that these early missions will help us prepare for more complex future missions, such as finding usable resources, creating a seismic network to understand the inner structure of the moon and the planet. Study of lunar mineralogy and chemistry to understand the origins, "explained Steve Clarke, NASA's badociate badociate director for exploration.
The Space Agency also hopes that the instruments and technologies selected will be useful in future missions, including robotic and inhabited missions on the surface of Mars. Some technologies may use the Moon's surface as a "test bench" for Mars, according to the press release.
NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Service Program
NASA will purchase flights for selected payloads as part of the commercial lunar payload service program. Speaking at the International Symposium on Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, Oct. 10, Clarke revealed that they planned to award the first contract (s) by December.
Lunar payload commercial services intend to award several contracts over the next decade. The bidding period has ended earlier this month.
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