Output details
13 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
University of Surrey
Lunar science with affordable small spacecraft technologies: MoonLITE and Moonraker
This paper presents the design work for two UK-led lunar space mission proposals, namely: MoonLITE and Moonraker. The paper has demonstrated for the first time how significant planetary science can be achieved using small spacecraft technologies to create affordable and short time-scale missions, which would normally require much larger scale and more expansive missions with tens of years of development time. The work is regarded highly transformative, changing the perception of the resources needed for deep space exploration. It has given the UK a world lead in the concept of low cost space exploration missions.