ispace and University of Leicester Sign Payload Service Agreement (PSA) for Lunar Raman Spectrometer Mission

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ispace and the University of Leicester have signed a Payload Service Agreement for a lunar Raman spectrometer mission. This marks a crucial step in transporting a Raman spectrometer to the lunar surface using ispace's 'ULTRA' lander, aiming to characterize lunar resources and establish a foundation for future space resource utilization.

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ispace and the University of Leicester have signed a Payload Service Agreement for a lunar Raman spectrometer mission. This marks a crucial step in transporting a Raman spectrometer to the lunar surface using ispace's 'ULTRA' lander, aiming to characterize lunar resources and establish a foundation for future space resource utilization.

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Source: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000148.000140640.html | Date: Date unavailable

ispace Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Takeshi Hakamada; Securities Code: 9348) and the University of Leicester (hereinafter, University of Leicester) are pleased to announce the signing of a Payload Service Agreement (PSA). This agreement stipulates the integration and transport of a Raman spectrometer as a payload to the lunar surface during a future ispace lunar mission. This payload is a Raman analysis spectrometer, which applies laser spectrometer technology developed for the ExoMars mission*¹. Moving forward, the University of Leicester will lead its development in collaboration with the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial: INTA) (Spain), the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), RAL Space (UK), and the University of Valladolid (Spain). *¹ ExoMars: A Mars life exploration mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA). The primary objective of this instrument is to analyze the molecular composition of the lunar surface and identify resources that could potentially support future human exploration of the Moon. It is also designed for integration into small landers and rovers for lunar exploration with an eye towards space resource utilization. This Raman spectrometer mission is proceeding under the UK Space Agency (UKSA)'s Science and Exploration Bilateral Fund. It represents a significant step forward in the development of scientific observation instruments for in-situ lunar analysis. Based on this agreement, ispace will provide payload transport services using its new lander, "ULTRA." ULTRA is a high-quality spacecraft born from the integration of the Series 3 lander and the APEX 1.0 lander, which were developed in Japan and the US, respectively, building upon the design of the RESILIENCE lander used in two previous lunar missions. Details regarding the specific mission for its deployment will be announced once they are finalized. To achieve high-precision surface analysis o

ispace and University of Leicester Sign Payload Service Agreement (PSA) for Lunar Raman Spectrometer Mission

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