Draft:Lunar Thermal Mapper
The Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) was an infrared radiometer developed by the University of Oxford for NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission. Funded by the UK Space Agency, the instrument was designed to map the temperature and mineral composition of the lunar surface and to support measurements of the distribution of lunar water.[1][2]
LTM was one of two scientific instruments carried by Lunar Trailblazer, alongside the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM³). The spacecraft launched in February 2025, but contact was lost shortly afterwards and the mission was formally ended in July 2025 before the spacecraft reached lunar orbit.[3]
Design
[edit]The Lunar Thermal Mapper was a push-broom imaging filter radiometer operating in the infrared between 6.25 and 100 micrometres. It had 15 spectral channels: four broadband channels intended primarily for surface-temperature measurements and eleven narrower channels between approximately 7 and 10 micrometres for studying the composition of silicate minerals.[1]
The instrument used a 384 × 288-pixel uncooled microbolometer detector array and a five-mirror optical system. Its mass was approximately 4.5 kg and its dimensions, including its multilayer insulation, were 225 × 265 × 110 mm. From Lunar Trailblazer's planned orbit, LTM was designed to provide a ground sampling distance of approximately 40–70 metres per pixel.[1]
LTM was designed, assembled and calibrated at the University of Oxford's space instrumentation facilities. Its design incorporated experience from earlier infrared instruments including the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Climate Sounder and an infrared instrument flown on the British TechDemoSat-1 spacecraft.[1]
Scientific objectives
[edit]The principal purpose of LTM was to provide measurements of lunar surface temperature alongside observations made by HVM³. HVM³ was intended to identify spectral signatures associated with different forms of water, while LTM would allow researchers to investigate how temperature affected the observed distribution of water across the surface.[2]
LTM was also designed to investigate lunar mineralogy independently of its role in studying water. Its narrower infrared channels were selected to distinguish variations in the composition of silicate rocks and soils.[1][4]
The instrument was designed to measure temperatures from about 110 to 400 kelvin and underwent radiometric, spectral and alignment calibration before delivery for integration with the spacecraft.[1][5]
Development and mission
[edit]Development of LTM was led by the University of Oxford and funded by the UK Space Agency. Other organisations involved in the instrument included Durham University and RAL Space.[6]
LTM completed flight qualification and calibration in February 2023 before being shipped to the United States and integrated with Lunar Trailblazer.[7]
Lunar Trailblazer launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on 26 February 2025 local time from Kennedy Space Center. Communications were established after separation, but contact with the spacecraft was lost the following day. NASA ended the mission on 31 July 2025 after attempts to re-establish two-way communications were unsuccessful.[3]
Only limited telemetry was received from LTM after the spacecraft was powered on. According to the instrument team's subsequent technical paper, the telemetry indicated that LTM was drawing the expected power, had transitioned from its boot software to its application software, and had placed its pointing mirror in the safe position. The mission ended before scientific observations of the Moon could be obtained.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bowles, Neil E.; Ehlmann, Bethany L.; Evans, Rory; Warren, Tristram J. (2026). "The Lunar Trailblazer Lunar Thermal Mapper Instrument". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 131 (5): e2025JE009333. doi:10.1029/2025JE009333.
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|display-authors=4(help)CS1 maint: article number as page number (link) - 1 2 "Lunar Trailblazer Mission". NASA Science. NASA. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 "NASA's Lunar Trailblazer Moon Mission Ends". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. 4 August 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ Shirley, Katherine A.; Donaldson Hanna, Kerri L.; Bowles, Neil E.; Habib, Namrah (2026). "Mid-Infrared Compositional Spectral Parameters for the Lunar Thermal Mapper Instrument Onboard Lunar Trailblazer". Earth and Space Science. 13 (5).
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|display-authors=4(help) - ↑ "Lunar Thermal Mapper ready for launch". Department of Physics. University of Oxford. 25 February 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ "Lunar Trailblazer's Thermal Mapper Has Arrived at Lockheed Martin". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ "Lunar Trailblazer's Thermal Mapper Has Arrived at Lockheed Martin". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
External links
[edit]- Lunar Trailblazer at NASA
- Lunar Thermal Mapper at the University of Oxford
Category:Spacecraft instruments Category:Infrared imaging Category:Lunar science Category:University of Oxford