Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to manage a pan-European student built mission to the Moon. The European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO) programme will place a spacecraft into a lunar orbit to map the lunar surface, acquiring images and other scientific data about our nearest neighbour. Students from at least 10 universities throughout ESA's Member States and Cooperating States will learn about space science and engineering hands on by collaborating on the design and building of systems that could be launched into orbit around the Moon as soon as 2013.
ESA's Education Office has awarded a contract to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd of the UK to manage the development and testing of the first European student mission to the Moon. Launch is expected in 2013-2014.