Space Topics: SMART-1
Mission Objectives
While cruising from Earth to the Moon, SMART-1:
- made the first European in-flight test of an ion engine
- tested a navigation system that, in the future, will allow spacecraft to autonomously navigate through the solar system
- tested a new way to communicate with Earth using a laser beam and test of very high frequency transmissions instead of traditional radio frequencies
- constantly monitored the performance of the ion engine
Now at the Moon, SMART-1 is:
- investigating the theory that the Moon formed out of the debris of a massive collision between a Mars-size object and Earth, more than 4 billion years ago
- studying processes of rocky planet formation, volcanism, tectonics, and geochemistry
- chronicling the asteroid and comet bombardment of the Earth-Moon system by studying the preserved craters of the Moon
- searching for signs of water ice in craters near the Moon’s poles
In addition to better informing us about the state of the Moon today, SMART-1 data will probably be used to select sites for future landing and Moon exploration.
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