Astrobotic Technology Expeditions Will Build Lunar Data
Library
At a meeting Friday of worldwide
Moon exploration experts, Astrobotic Technology Inc. unveiled its
plans for a series of robotic expeditions to build a lunar data
library.
"Astrobotic will robotically explore the Moon’s
high-interest areas on a commercial basis, collecting information
required to design future outposts and to answer scientific
questions about the Moon and Earth," said company president David
Gump. "Our data library also will point the way to utilizing lunar
energy and mineral resources to lower the cost of exploration and
eventually supply markets on Earth."
The company today released a White Paper on its data library at
the annual combined meeting of the International Lunar Exploration
Working Group, the Space Resources Roundtable and the Lunar
Exploration Analysis Group. It invites the world’s space
agencies, aerospace corporations, university researchers and
industrial firms to outline which data packages are highest
priority for them.
In addition to building a lunar data library, the company will
deliver payloads, perform on-the-Moon services and generate
interactive, high-definition media content for television, the Web,
science centers and theme parks.
Astrobotic's first planned lunar expedition is the Tranquility
Trek Mission in May 2010 to the historic Apollo 11 site. As it
collects valuable information to build the Astrobotic lunar data
library, it also aims to win the Google Lunar X Prize, a $20
million reward for the first commercial robotic Moon expedition
that beams high-definition television to Earth on a 500-meter
traverse.
The company claims the mission also will be the first robotic
expedition to demonstrate a precise landing within meters of its
intended coordinates. Subsequent missions organized and financed by
Astrobotic, will explore and collect valuable data on the Moon's
poles, where national space programs plan to exploit the polar
regions' resources.
The second and third missions are aimed for crater rims at the
poles because NASA and other agencies plan to establish permanent
outposts there. The lunar poles offer persistent sunlight for
electrical power and moderate temperatures, plus potentially water
ice in the permanently dark deep craters. The company expects that
by 2013 it will send a robot into one of the deep polar craters to
confirm if water ice can be mined to support future crews and
refuel future spacecraft.
Additional missions will collect seismic data to chart the
Moon's interior, and a prototype Moondozer will test lunar
construction technology.
Astrobotic was formed in Fall 2007, and says it has secured
lunar contracts from NASA and two commercial firms. Prototype
rovers are now being field-tested at Carnegie Mellon University by
Dr. William "Red" Whittaker, the firm's Chairman. Prototype landing
platforms have been constructed by Raytheon Co., using the
company's proven digital terrain matching technologies to achieve
precision landings on the Moon. Mission planning and camera
expertise is provided by the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at The
University of Arizona.