Snooping science on the Moon
The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed its first exploration data buy agreement with Hungarian company Puli Space Technologies, whose neutron spectrometer will study water ice in the Moon's south pole region and provide the first direct surface measurements from a permanently shadowed crater. Through this partnership, ESA will obtain data from the spectrometer, which will fly on Intuitive Machines' second lunar mission.
The Moon has captured global attention as humankind seeks to return to its surface, to uncover its secrets for scientific purposes, and to learn more about how to live in space for further exploration. The south pole region is particularly interesting due to the presence of water ice within its shadowed craters. This water ice is a key focus for a more sustainable lunar exploration, where in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) technologies could produce vital resources such as oxygen, water and fuel directly on the Moon.
The Puli Lunar Water Snooper (PLWS), a NASA-awarded miniature neutron spectrometer developed by Puli Space, is mounted on Intuitive Machines’ Micro Nova Hopper, a propulsive drone that will deploy off their lunar lander and hop across the Moon’s surface. During this mission, set for no earlier than February 2025, PLWS will investigate the presence of water ice and hydrogen.
ESA’s Lunar Science Office recognises the importance of the expected data and has made history by signing its first exploration data buy agreement with Puli Space Technologies. This collaboration highlights the expertise in the European space industry and sets a precedent for future public-private partnerships in deep space exploration. ESA will select a dedicated scientific team to work closely with Puli Space to analyse and standardise the data, which will be made publicly available later.
“It is impressive to see how far Puli Space and Intuitive Machines have come in preparing this mission and being able to generate this first-of-a-kind data set. We are looking forward to the mission and to the opportunity to see what this data can tell us about the nature of water on the Moon,” says James Carpenter, Head of ESA’s Lunar Science Office.