Research of Future Moon Missions

NASDA's Lunar Mission Laboratory introduced some of the case study on future Moon missions, tentatively called SELENE No.2, following the current SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) project. The SELENE No.2 was presumed to perform mainly a landing mission. The launch vehicle would be a 2-ton class H-2A rocket, which would carry a 1-ton Moon lander. The lander would contain a propulsion system and the payload of about 400 kg including a rover, test equipment and power sources. The power sources could be a combination of solar cells and secondary batteries. The required lithium batteries might pose weight problems. The SELENE was to land on a wide flat area on the Moon, but for the SELENE No.2 sophysticated landing technologies might be necessary to avoid obstacles autonomously, minimize fuel usage, and make a safe landing. In this mission, called an artificial crater probe mission, a number of penetrators would be placed at various parts of the Moon surface to examine the internal structure of the Moon using lunar seismometers. An impact craft of 30 kg or more would be arranged to collide on the Moon surface. The SELENE No.2 would take off in 2005 or 2006.