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Prospect is a suite of instruments that will drill up to at least one metre depth beneath the lunar surface, extract samples, and process them in a mini lab.
The combination of robotic drill and sample analysis package aims to identify volatiles trapped beneath the surface at extremely cold temperatures down to –150 °C.
Europe’s major contribution will share the ride on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander with five other instruments from the US, including retroreflectors to locate landing sites on the Moon and yeast to study radiation and gravity responses.
In total, the six instruments will have a mass of about 80 kg.
Prospect is part of a global effort to identify potential lunar resources for a sustainable, long-term human presence on the Moon.
Volatiles for sustainable exploration
Water is a key target: there may be concentrations of frozen water at or below the surface especially in the lunar polar regions – something suggested by recent measurements from orbit. Information on how much water is present and how accessible it is would help plan future missions using local resources.