A technology developed by NASA that recently demonstrated its capacities in the hard surroundings of space will soon return to the Moon to look for gases trapped under the lunar surface thanks to a new Cooperative Research and development Agreement between NASA and the Magna Petra Corp commercial company.
The mass spectrometer for the observation of lunar operations (MSOLO) successfully demonstrated the complete range of its hardware in lunar conditions during the mission intuitive machines 2 earlier this year. According to the new agreement, A second msolo, mounted on a commercial rover, will be launched to the moon in 2026. Once on the lunar surface, it will measure low molecular weight volatiles in the hope of inferring the presence of rare isotopes, such as helium-3, whose existence is theorized trapped in the regolite, or lunar dust.
“This new mission opportunity It will help determine which volatile compounds are present on the lunar surfacewhile providing scientific information for the objectives of Magna Petra, ”said Roberto Aguilar Ayala, a researcher physicist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.“ Learn more about lunar volatile compounds and its isotopes supports NASA’s objective to maintain long -term human space exploration. We will need to extract local resources to improve the capabilities of our astronauts and thus expand the exploration opportunities on the lunar surface. ”
The Msolo instrument will be integrated into a commercial rover, selected by Magna Petra. This rover will allow Msolo to collect the necessary data for researchers to understand what low molecular weight gases reside on the lunar surface. NASA will work with the partner to integrate Msolo to work properly with the rover, and the partner will analyze and share data in real time with NASA to understand the location of these volatiles on the moon and their ability to be extracted in the future.
Magna Petra hopes to understand the presence of the Helio-3 isotope within the surface of the moon, With the ultimate goal of collecting it and bringing it back to Earth for use in a variety of industries, including energy production through nuclear fusion, quantum computing, medical care and specialized laboratory equipment.
The MSOLO instrument began as a commercial mass spectrometer ready to use, designed to analyze the volatiles used in the manufacture of semiconductors, which helped reduce NASA development costs. NASA modified the device to withstand the rigors of space flights and the harsh conditions of the moon. On his first trip to the moon, Msolo was part of the experiment 1 of ice resource ice mining.
Signed on April 2, this reimbursable agreement is the first of its kind established in the NASA Kennedy Center. According to this agreement, Magna Petra will reimburse Costs such as support for integration and tests of Msolo with the Rover, preparation prior to the mission and operations of the instruments, and the experience in Systems Engineering, Airplane and Software.
“This innovative agreement promises to provide valuable data to both partners,” said Jonathan Baker, head of space port development at the NASA Kennedy Center. “This approach demonstrates the NASA commitment to find unique ways to collaborate with the commercial industry to promote technological advancement in a fiscal way and promote innovation for the benefit of humanity. ”
During the mission, NASA will keep the property of Msolo. Once the mission is completed, the instrument will stop having access to energy and communications and will remain on the lunar surface. The valuable data collected during the mission will be sent to the planetary data system for public dissemination.
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