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Missions to the Moon
Currently in progress
| Mission | Launch Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| SMART-1 (ESA - government) | 27 September 2003 | Solar electric propulsion with 16-month transfer orbit; lunar photographic survey from polar elliptic orbit (300 km close approach); 370 kg (810 lb) |
Planned or proposed
| Mission | Launch Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Trailblazer (TransOrbital - commercial) | First quarter, 2004 | solid-fuel trans-lunar injection (4-day transfer); lunar video and still imaging from polar elliptic orbit (50 km close approach, 10 km final orbit); 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Lunar-A (ISAS Japan - government) | August 2004 | mapping orbiter and near-side + far-side penetrators; heat-flow and seismic measurements; 520 kg (1100 lb) |
| SuperSat (LunaCorp - private/govt) | 2004 | Shuttle launch, ISS assembly; ion-engine transfer (30-45 days); lunar photography at 1 meter or better resolution; panoramic video for science center display |
| Selene (ISAS/NASDA - government) | 2005 | orbiter in 100 km polar orbit + two sub-satellites; investigation of lunar origins, technology for future exploration |
| Electra I (TransOrbital - commercial) | 2005? | Microlander; daytime power/communications; 10 kg (20 lb) to lunar surface |
| Icebreaker (LunaCorp - commercial) | 2006? | Polar landing rover; exploration for ice in polar craters, and Aitken basin geology; high-resolution panoramic imaging |
| Chang'e-I (China - government) | 2006/2007 | orbiter - mapping and resource survey: 2000 kg, 12-month mission |
| Polar Night (proposed to NASA) | 2007? | polar penetrators |
| Electra II (TransOrbital - commercial) | 2007? | Microlander with rovers |
| Chandrayan-1 (India - government) | by 2007 | $100 million project, 525 kg polar orbiter - 3D chemical map of lunar surface |
| China (government) | by 2010 | lander and sample return mission - long-range objective to "establish a lunar base, and exploit and utilize the rich resources on the Moon" |
| South-Pole Sample Return (NASA?) | ? by 2012? | From the recommendations of the 2002 decadal "New Frontiers in the Solar System" report, high on the list was sample return from the Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin. |
| Artemis Project Reference Mission (ASI - commercial) | ? | Establishment of a human-tended lunar base; exploration of lunar resources for commercial use |
| Lunar Solar Power (Criswell - commercial) | ? | arrays of solar cells on lunar surface to beam energy back to Earth |
Completed missions
| Mission | Launch Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar Prospector (NASA) | January 6, 1998 | Orbiter; Range of scientific instruments (non-photographic); 100 km orbit, 295 kg (650 lb) |
| Clementine (US BMDO/NASA) | January 25, 1994 | Testbed flight for BMD space technologies; polar elliptical orbit, 400 km close approach; lunar photographic mapping, 227 kg |
LUNAR UNDERGROUND WEB RING