Britain Plans Lunar Exploration - By Craig Brown

Jim McDade posted an article by Craig Brown on the Space Exploration
Advocacy Group http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/SpaceADG/
- LRK -

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UK Wants To Lead Lunar Colonization
Posted by: "Jim McDade" 
Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:58 am (PST)
>from The Scotsman:

Britain Plans Lunar Exploration
By Craig Brown

Scientists have outlined proposals for two all-British moon
missions, paid for jointly by UK government and industry. The
missions could provide the country with important footholds in the
race toward moon colonization, say the proposals' authors. The U.S.
has expressed interest in building lunar colonies, and the European,
Indian and Chinese space agencies are all planning missions to the
moon.

Britain is striking out on its own in lunar exploration, with
ambitious plans to carry out experiments on the moon using UK
technology.

A study conducted for the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research
Council (PPARC) has outlined proposals for two all-British moon
missions.

The first, named Moonlight, could be launched by 2010 and would see
four suitcase-sized darts fired onto the moon's surface from an
orbiting probe.

The darts, which carry geologically-sensitive equipment, would be
shot into craters at 400 mph, penetrating to a depth of 6 feet,
sending back information about possible "moonquakes" and the
composition and temperature of the moon's core.

If successful, the mission could be followed by another called
Moonraker, named after the James Bond film. This would land a
spacecraft on the moon and carry out physical geological studies
that could be used in the search for suitable sites for manned
bases.

Snip
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Here is a link to the article on the Internet at TechNewsWorld.
- LRK -

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http://www.technewsworld.com/story/space/55101.html
Britain Plans Lunar Exploration

By Craig Brown
The Scotsman
01/11/07 8:39 AM PT

Scientists have outlined proposals for two all-British moon missions, paid
for jointly by UK government and industry. The missions could provide the
country with important footholds in the race toward moon colonization, say
the proposals' authors. The U.S. has expressed interest in building lunar
colonies, and the European, Indian and Chinese space agencies are all
planning missions to the moon.

Snip

'Go-it-Alone'

The study was prepared by professor Sir Martin Sweeting, founder and chief
executive of Surrey Satellite Technology, a University of Surrey spin-off
company with its headquarters in Guildford, England.

The cost of space exploration had fallen sufficiently to allow Britain to
mount a "go-it-alone" moon mission, paid for jointly by the government and
industry, he said.

Britain's space ventures have been carried out jointly with the American
space agency NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). "Current small
missions to the Moon cost around 500 million [euros] (US$650 million),"
Martin said. "With advances in small satellites, we could probably cut the
cost by at least a fifth."

Going solo to the moon would be a major boost to British industry. "In the
UK, we have tremendous expertise in this area," he said. "A UK moon program
would enable us to get a foothold in what could ... be an economically
important area for a relatively low cost."

Snip
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Newspaper articles, a mission do not make.  It will come down to funding, so
will see if darting the Moon happens from the UK. 
- LRK -

Others, like NASA Ames and the Japanese, have proposed dropping devices to
the Moon to take readings. 

It reminds me of the early movie of a rocket ship stuck in the eye of the
Moon by Georges Méliès, (A Trip to the Moon, 1902).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Trip_to_the_Moon_(film)

Can we call it a race to the Moon? 

Sounds good to me, let us race to the Moon.  OK, I win, now what?  Do I get
to bring some of it back and sell at the local flea market?  Step right up
and get your Moon Dust here, and for you sir, a special price.  Good for
aches and pains, just sprinkle on ...
- LRK -

Ensure the human race goes on, send your genetic sample to our lunar
cryogenic storage - well maybe -. - LRK -
http://www.cryolab.com/Default.aspx?section=aboutus&page=introduction

Maybe already there.
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http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4214/app3a.html
http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4214/ch3-6.html
APOLLO'S LUNAR EXPLORATION PLANS
Woods Hole and Falmouth Conferences, Summer 1965

Snip
One question that assumed increasing importance as planetary exploration
became more realistic was the existence of life forms or their precursors on
the moon or the planets. The working group on biology concluded that the
evolution of organisms or prebiotic materials was most likely to have
occurred on Mars. However, the group affirmed the necessity to avoid
contaminating any celestial body, including the moon, with terrestrial
organisms or organic materials that might invalidate later experiments
attempting to detect life. As to the need for protecting earth from
biological contamination by material from the moon, the group believed the
hazards were small but that NASA should be safe rather than sorry: "the
consequences of misjudgment are potentially catastrophic."47 Opinion on this
point was not unanimous throughout the conference, however, for the working
group on lunar exploration noted only a "minor possibility of finding
prebiotic material, either buried or in sheltered locations."48
Snip

http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4214/cover.html
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Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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All 97 News Articles for - Britain Plans Lunar Exploration -

Here is one of them with a bit different spelling of the mission name.
- LRK -

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2541406,00.html
The Times   January 11, 2007

Britain plans twin Moon missions to seek the secrets of life on Earth
Lewis Smith, Science Reporter
# Crafts to probe surface with darts
# Stepping stones to Mars and Jupiter
Graphic: The two missions explained

Britain could launch its own mission to the Moon by 2010 under plans
outlined yesterday by leading space scientists.

Two missions aimed at answering questions about how life began and the
history of the universe are being considered by the Particle Physics and
Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), which funds Britain�s space research.

Both are regarded as important stepping stones to reaching Mars and Jupiter
because they would test technology required for future missions farther from
Earth.

One of the unmanned missions, called MoonRaker, would see a spacecraft land
on the Moon to analyse dust and rocks in greater detail than before and
search for evidence of water and organic traces. If successful it would mark
the first soft landing by a European spacecraft and would provide unrivalled
data on the age of different layers of the Moon.

The other, MoonLITE, would see an orbiting craft fire four projectiles at
the Moon to plunge into the surface. At least one probe would be sent to a
pole and another to the equator. One or more would hit the dark side of the
Moon.

Seismic and temperature readings from the probes would measure the
geological activity of the Moon and assess the make-up of its surface up to
2m (6ft 6in) deep.

Each of the darts would weigh about 13.5kg (30lb) and, using military
technology to protect the electronics, would survive an impact of 300m per
second. Such probes are seen as having huge potential for exploring Europa,
one of Jupiter�s moons, which is covered in ice and may have liquid oceans.
The Moon mission would be a test run.

The Moon is the most easily accessible extra-terrestrial body and is
considered to have clues to the creation of Earth and the solar system
preserved on and beneath its surface.

Among the material scientists would hope to uncover is traces of organic
material from meteorites that could support the theory that life started on
Earth after being �seeded� by an asteroid strike. Samples taken from the
poles could establish if, as some scientists believe, there is ice on the
Moon. The make-up of the ice could show if water was carried to Earth by
asteroids or comets.

Scientists involved in the project believe it is conceivable that remains of
early Earth could be found on the Moon having been blasted there in a
collision with an asteroid.

John Zarnecki, of the Open University�s Planetary and Space Science Research
Institute and a council member at PPARC, said that the Moon contained
information waiting to be dug up.

Speaking as the Moon mission proposals were announced in London yesterday,
Professor Zarnecki said: �It�s become quite clear in recent years that the
Moon is perhaps unique in that it preserves a record of what was going on in
the early years of the solar system.

�There�s even the possibility that one might even find some fossil traces of
primitive Earth on the Moon. There are probably trapped samples of the
Earth�s early atmosphere, which is very different from the way it is now.�

Andrew Coates, from University College London, said at a briefing in London:
�Finding organic molecules would be a big discovery, because there�s no way
life could have developed on the Moon. We know that comets played a big role
in bringing water to the Earth, and they may have brought carbon compounds
as well. Finding organic molecules on the Moon could give us clues about the
origin of life on Earth.�

Each mission is predicted to cost £50 million to £100million and, if they
are approved, would be funded by a mix of government money and commercial
investment.

Scientists would like the project to be a solely British endeavour but
accept that it is almost certain to end up as a joint venture with other
nations, especially as an international launcher would be needed. Of the two
Moon missions, MoonLITE is most likely to get approval as most of the
technology required is available in Britain.

A consortium of scientists and engineers from universities and industry
presented the plans at a two-day space exploration workshop in Edinburgh.
The proposals will be put before the European Space Agency�s ruling council.

671 mph

Speed at which the darts would hit Moon�s surface
Source: PPARC

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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