EDMONTON - The first ever Canadian rover to set wheels on the moon is under construction for a mission set to launch as early as 2026. The rover will explore the south polar region of the moon in a search for frozen water in the lunar soil.
The Canadian Space Agency has awarded a contract to Canadensys Aerospace Corporation to build the rover, with the project involving NASA, industry partners and academic researchers, including the University of Alberta’s Chris Herd, a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. The lunar rover will weigh about 30 kilograms and will take along six scientific payloads designed to gather data, five of which are Canadian.
Herd is helping develop a tool called the Lunar Hydrogen Autonomous Neutron Spectrometer (LHANS), which is being developed by Ontario-based Bubble Technology Industries. The LHANS tool is designed to detect water ice on the moon by identifying the presence of hydrogen in the lunar soil. By looking for the signature of radiation from space as it interacts with material beneath the moon's surface, the LHANS tool can confirm the presence of hydrogen.
Craig Hardgrove, an associate professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, will interpret the hydrogen component of the data, while Herd will focus on any other elements or minerals present.
Herd notes that the mission will focus on the permanently shadowed southern regions of the moon, as these areas act as "cold traps" for any frozen water present. "Any kind of water vapor that's around will migrate and get trapped into these cold spots," he explains.
If frozen water is found on the moon, it would be a step forward for space exploration. "Water is one of the most important resources we could look for, because the less we have to bring with us from Earth, the more we can use there and the less expensive it is overall to go to the moon and eventually set up a long-term presence," says Herd.
While the tool and the rover are still under development, Herd will become a part of the mission when it begins. He’s no stranger to rover missions, having also been involved in a Mars rover mission over the past two years.
He is thrilled that the lunar rover mission is being led by Canadians with mostly Canadian instruments, with NASA contributing to the project. "Our American partners are super excited as well, because it's a different way of doing things for them, and we've been great partners in space exploration for a long time," he says.
The full story can be seen here. To arrange an interview with Chris Herd, please contact:
Ross Neitz | U of A media strategist | ross.neitz@ualberta.ca | 780-297-8354