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By NASA // October 19, 2018
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NASA preparing to purchase commercial lunar payload delivery services
NASA has announced a call for Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads that will fly to the Moon on commercial lunar landers as early as next year or 2020. (NASA image)
(NASA) – NASA has announced a call for Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads that will fly to the Moon on commercial lunar landers as early as next year or 2020.
The agency is working with U.S. industry and international partners to expand human exploration from the Moon to Mars. It all starts with robotic missions on the lunar surface, as well as a Gateway for astronauts in space orbiting the Moon.
NASA is preparing to purchase commercial services for small payloads, and to develop a larger fleet of payloads, to conduct more research on the moon's surface ahead of a human return.
The agency is seeking investigations that advance capabilities for science, exploration, or commercial development of the Moon. This call is particularly geared towards small payloads that can be ready for early commercial flights.
Future calls for lunar payloads will occur at regular intervals for later missions, with the next call released in one year.
"We are looking for ways to not only conduct the Earth's science, but also the vast Universe," said Steve Clarke, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration in the United States. NASA Headquarters in Washington.
"In terms of technology, we will be interested in those instruments that will help future missions-both human and robotic-explore the Moon and feed forward to future Mars missions."
On early missions, science instruments will be able to collect data related to the heat of the moon. Lander payloads could also lead to technology demonstrations, using the Moon as a technology testbed for Mars.
On early missions, science instruments will be able to collect data related to the heat of the moon. Lander payloads could also lead to technology demonstrations, using the Moon as a technology testbed for Mars.
"The strategy is that these missions will be prepared for more complex future missions such as searching for useable resources, building up a seismic network to understand the moon's internal structure, and studying the lunar mineralogy and chemistry to understand the moon's origins," Clarke said. "NASA is also looking to support U.S. industry efforts to provide more commercial exploration services for multiple customers, including NASA."
In most cases, payloads will be given in place and remain under the principal investigator's control until they are selected for a specific flight.
The call for payloads falls under the Research Opportunities in Space Science and Earth Science (ROSES) funding program and claims proposals for the main investigator-led science instrument and technology investigations. The initial proposal deadline is November 19, 2018.
The United States has not been soft-landed on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The Moon has scientific value and the potential to yield resources, such as water and oxygen, in close proximity to earth to help sustain deep space exploration.
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