DATE2024.04.04 #News

UTokyo instrument selected for NASA’s Artemis deployed instrument program

-Astronauts Bring to the Moon

School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo

Summary of Presentations

NASA's Artemis initiative is a series of missions aiming to return humans to the Moon. On the morning of March 27 (Japan Standard Time), NASA announced three scientific instruments selected for deployment by astronauts on the lunar surface, including the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA), which was proposed by a team from the University of Tokyo.

Figure: Artist’s concept of an Artemis astronaut deploying an instrument on the lunar surface. Credits: NASA

The LDA will measure the dielectric properties of the lunar surface. It is designed to be placed on the lunar surface by astronauts and make observations as if it were an independent small base. By measuring the dielectric properties of the lunar regolith, information about the bulk density can be obtained. LDA will also study how the dielectric properties change as the surface temperature changes, which can help provide fundamental scientific data related to the question of whether ice exist in the shallow lunar subsurface.

For more information, please visit the website of the School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo.