Lunar Polar Exploration Mission

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The Lunar Polar Exploration mission (LUPEX) is a robotic lunar mission concept by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)[1][2][3] that would send a lunar rover and lander to explore the south pole region of the Moon in 2024.[4][5][6] JAXA is likely to provide the under-development H3 launch vehicle and the rover, while ISRO would be responsible for the lander.[2][7]

The mission concept has not yet been formally proposed for funding and planning.[8]

History

ISRO signed an Implementation Arrangement (IA) in December 2017 for pre-phase A, phase A study and completed the feasibility report in March 2018 with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)[9] to explore the polar regions of Moon for water[10] with a joint Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX) that would be launched by 2024.[4][11]

ISRO and JAXA held the Joint Mission Definition Review (JMDR) in December 2018. By the end of 2019, JAXA concluded its internal Project Readiness Review.[12]

Since Chandrayaan-2 could not soft land on Moon in September 2019, India started to study a new lunar mission namely Chandrayaan-3 as a repeat attempt to demonstrate the landing capabilities needed for the LUPEX.[13]

On 24 September 2019, in a joint statement by JAXA and NASA discussed possibility of NASA's participation as well.[14]

JAXA finished its domestic System Requirement Review (SRR) in early 2021.[15]

Overview

The Lunar Polar Exploration mission would demonstrate new surface exploration technologies related to vehicular transport and lunar night survival for sustainable lunar exploration in polar regions.[16][7] For precision landing it would utilize a feature matching algorithm and navigational equipment derived from JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission.[17][18] The lander's payload capacity would be Template:Cvt at minimum.[19][20][21] The rover would carry multiple instruments by JAXA and ISRO including a drill to collect sub-surface samples from Template:Cvt depth.[22][20] Water prospecting and analysis are likely to be mission objectives.[2][23] Payload proposals from other space agencies might be sought.[1][18]

Payloads

Few selected Japanese instruments along with the candidate instruments of ISRO and the invited international collaborators by JAXA.[15][24]

  • Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): Underground radar observation up to 1.5 meter during rover traverse. (ISRO)
  • Neutron Spectrometer (NS): Underground neutron (hydrogen) observation up to 1 meter during rover traverse. (NASA)
  • Advanced Lunar Imaging Spectrometer (ALIS): Template:Chem/OH observation of the surface and drilled regolith.
  • Exospheric Mass Spectrometer for LUPEX (EMS-L): Surface gas pressure and chemical species measurement. (ESA)
  • REsourceInvestigation Water Analyzer (REIWA): Instrument package of the four instruments.
    • Lunar Thermogravimetric Analyzer (LTGA): Thermogravimetric analyses of the drilled samples for water content.
    • TRIple-reflection reflecTrON (TRITON): Identification of chemical species of the volatile component in the drilled samples based on mass spectrometry.
    • Aquatic Detector using Optical Resonance (ADORE): Water content measurement in the drilled samples based on cavity ring-down spectrometry.
    • ISRO Sample Analysis Package: Mineralogical and elemental measurement of the drilled samples. (ISRO)

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 India's next Moon shot will be bigger, in pact with Japan(8 September 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Episode 82: JAXA and International Collaboration with Professor Fujimoto Masaki. Astro Talk UK(4 January 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Global Exploration Roadmap - Supplement August 2020 - Lunar Surface Exploration Scenario Update. NASA(August 2020). Retrieved 10 March 2021. Template:PD-notice
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Trak 2019
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named I Times
  6. ↑ Japan, India to team up in race to discover water on moon, Shimbun, The Yomiuri(30 July 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Current status of a Japanese lunar polar exploration mission(May 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  8. ↑ ISRO planning 7 interplanetary missions, Venus on the to-do list, Sidharth, M. P.. DNA India(18 May 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Welcome to Embassy of India, Tokyo (Japan). www.indembassy-tokyo.gov.in. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  10. ↑ India and Japan prepare joint mission to the moon. Financial Times(4 January 2018). Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  11. ↑ JAXA & ISRO to embark on Joint Lunar Polar Exploration, Goh, Deyana. SpaceTech Asia(2017-12-08). Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  12. ↑ Progress Of Lunar Polar Exploration Mission(October 2020). Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  13. ↑ ISRO Will Embark on Chandrayaan 3 by November 2020 for Another Landing Attempt. The WIRE(14 November 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  14. ↑ JAXA - Joint Statement on Cooperation in Lunar Exploration. JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(24 September 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Current Status Of The Planned Lunar Polar Exploration Mission Jointly Studied By India And Japan(18 March 2021). Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  16. ↑ JAXA's Lunar Exploration Activities, Sasaki, Hiroshi. UNOOSA(17 June 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :2
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Template:Cite AV media
  19. ↑ Lunar polar exploration mission for water prospection - JAXA's current status of joint study with ISRO. Acta Astronautica({Template:Date).
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 国際協力による月探査計画への参画に向けて参考資料. MEXT.GO(29 August 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  21. ↑ Objective and Configuration of a Planned Lunar Polar Exploration Mission(1 February 2020). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  22. ↑ Japan Sets Sights on Moon with NASA and India. SPACE.com(23 October 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  23. ↑ Six-day cruise lies ahead for India's Chandrayaan-2 probe before the real lunar shenanigans begin. The Register(14 August 2019). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  24. ↑ Template:Cite AV media

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