* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Moonlite mission

Blobrana · L

Ministers will give their approval next month to push ahead with the project which will help engineers to build a lunar base which can withstand the force of the moonquakes.
The £100 million mission involves putting an unmanned spacecraft into orbit around the Moon before firing a series of probes into the lunar surface.
Scientists hope to use the penetrators to examine the chemical composition of the rocks and even search for water if they are fired into the lunar poles.
The existence of Moonquakes has puzzled scientists because the Moon does not have the tectonic plate activity that causes quakes on the Earth.
The launch of Britain's moon mission, known as the Moon Lightweight Interior and Telecommunications Experiment or MoonLITE, will be announced by science minister Lord Drayson next month. Scientists and engineers will begin work on the technical designs, calculations and costs with the aim of launching the satellite between 2012 and 2014.

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Blobrana · L

High speed penetrators that could one day be used to breach the surface of planets have successfully passed their first test in the UK, accelerating to 700 miles per hour before striking their target.
A team led by UCL test-fired the projectiles in Wales, recording a peak of 10,000 gee upon impact (where humans can survive up to 10 gee). Penetrators, which can carry
data-collecting systems and sensors, are being developed as an alternative to manned space flight for the future exploration of moons in our solar system.

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Blobrana · L

Tests on a UK-led technology at the heart of a planned Moon mission have been a spectacular success according to the scientists involved in the project.
Three penetrator missiles were fired into a sand bunker in Wales, designed to mimic the lunar surface.

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