ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Science Time NASA Will Use Lasers To Find Water Ice on The Moon
Space exploration is an exciting but costly endeavor. For example, the Apollo program, which first landed humans on the moon, cost around $25 billion back in the 1960s. Today, that would be about $175 billion, making it one of the most expensive projects ever undertaken by the U.S. government.
Currently, sending just one kilogram of payload into Earth’s orbit costs around $20,000. To make space travel more affordable and efficient, NASA engineers are working on new technologies that will improve safety and reliability while reducing costs. Under the Artemis program, NASA plans to explore more of the moon than ever before. A key strategy to cut costs is to use resources already available on the moon.
Water is heavy and requires a lot of energy to transport into space, which makes it expensive. However, there might be water ice on the moon, especially near its poles. If we can find and extract this ice, it could be melted, purified, and even used as rocket fuel.
Barbara Cohen, a chief investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, explains that there are strong signs of ice in the moon’s darkest and coldest craters. While previous data was unclear, confirming the presence of ice is essential before sending astronauts to collect it.
This is where the Lunar Flashlight, also known as CubeSat, comes in. It’s a small satellite weighing just 14 kilograms, designed to detect surface ice. This mission will be the first to use lasers to search for water ice and will also be the first planetary spacecraft to use a new, safer green propellant instead of the traditional hydrazine fuel.
Over two months, Lunar Flashlight will fly over the moon’s South Pole. It will use near-infrared lasers to illuminate the shaded polar regions. An onboard spectrometer will analyze the light reflected from the surface to determine its composition, helping us understand how much water ice is present. These dark craters are thought to be cold traps that collect various types of ice, including water ice, possibly from comet and asteroid impacts or interactions with solar wind.
With the Artemis program, NASA plans to return humans to the moon, starting with robotic missions in 2021 and human missions by 2024. The ultimate goal is to establish sustainable exploration on the moon by the end of the decade. The knowledge gained from these missions will pave the way for future endeavors, including sending astronauts to Mars.
Thank you for learning about this exciting mission! If you found this information interesting, consider exploring more about space exploration and the technologies that make it possible.
Use materials like cardboard, paper, and LEDs to create a model of the Lunar Flashlight. This activity will help you understand the design and function of the satellite. Consider how the lasers and spectrometer work together to detect water ice on the moon.
Investigate the new green propellant used by the Lunar Flashlight compared to traditional hydrazine fuel. Prepare a presentation on the benefits and challenges of using green propellants in space missions.
Engage in a class debate about the costs and benefits of space exploration. Consider the historical context of the Apollo program and the current Artemis program. Discuss whether the potential discoveries justify the expenses.
Conduct a simulation using a light source and different materials to mimic the detection of water ice. Use a spectrometer app or software to analyze the light reflections, similar to how the Lunar Flashlight operates.
Write an essay or create a video discussing the future of lunar exploration. Focus on the goals of the Artemis program and how the discovery of water ice could impact future missions to the moon and Mars.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Manned missions to space are expensive, and going beyond Earth orbit is even more costly. For instance, the total estimated cost of the Apollo program, which sent the first humans to the moon, was around $25 billion. This amount is equivalent to approximately $175 billion today, making it one of the most expensive government initiatives in American history.
Currently, it costs around $20,000 to put a kilogram of payload into Earth orbit. Engineers at NASA are developing technologies for the 21st century that will not only dramatically increase safety and reliability but also reduce the cost of space transportation. Under the Artemis program, NASA aims to explore more of the moon than ever before. To lower the costs of new moon missions, we need to utilize resources that already exist on the lunar surface.
For example, water is a dense and heavy substance, and it requires a significant amount of energy to transport it into space, resulting in high costs. However, there may be water ice present on the moon’s surface near the lunar poles. If excavated, this ice could be melted, purified, and used for rocket fuel.
So, how do we find this water ice on the moon? According to Barbara Cohen, chief investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, there are strong indications of ice inside the darkest and coldest craters on the moon. While previous measurements were somewhat ambiguous, it is crucial to confirm the existence of ice before sending astronauts to excavate it.
Enter the Lunar Flashlight, also known as CubeSat, a tiny satellite weighing only 14 kilograms. This mission aims to detect surface ice, which previous studies suggest occurs naturally at the bottoms of craters on the moon. It will be the first mission to search for water ice using lasers and will also be the first planetary spacecraft to use green propellant, a new and safer form of fuel compared to the commonly used hydrazine.
Over the course of two months, Lunar Flashlight will fly low over the moon’s South Pole, using its near-infrared lasers to shine light into the shaded polar regions. An onboard spectrometer will measure surface reflection and composition, helping to fill a critical gap in our understanding of how much water ice these regions contain. These dark craters are believed to be cold traps that accumulate various types of ice, including water ice, which may have originated from comet and asteroid impacts as well as solar wind interactions with the lunar soil.
With the Artemis program, humanity’s return to the moon will begin with robotic missions in 2021, followed by human missions in 2024, with the goal of establishing sustainable lunar exploration by the end of the decade. NASA will then use the knowledge gained on and around the moon to take the next giant leap: sending astronauts to Mars.
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This version maintains the key information while removing any unnecessary elements and ensuring clarity.
NASA – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, responsible for the civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research in the United States. – NASA’s latest mission aims to study the effects of microgravity on plant growth in space.
Moon – The natural satellite of Earth, visible by reflected light from the sun, and the fifth largest satellite in the solar system. – The moon’s gravitational pull is responsible for the ocean tides on Earth.
Water – A transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, essential for all known forms of life, and found in abundance on Earth. – Scientists are searching for water on Mars to determine if the planet could have supported life.
Ice – The solid form of water, occurring at or below 0°C (32°F), often found in polar regions and on celestial bodies. – The discovery of ice on the moon’s surface has significant implications for future lunar missions.
Lasers – Devices that emit light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation, used in various scientific applications. – Lasers are used in astronomy to measure the distance between Earth and the moon with high precision.
Exploration – The action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it, often used in the context of space exploration. – Space exploration has led to the discovery of numerous exoplanets in distant solar systems.
Spacecraft – A vehicle or device designed for travel or operation in outer space. – The spacecraft successfully entered orbit around Jupiter to study the planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field.
Polar – Relating to the regions of the Earth or another celestial body near the poles, characterized by extreme conditions. – The polar regions of Mars are covered with ice caps that expand and contract with the seasons.
Astronauts – Individuals trained to travel and perform tasks in space, often as part of a space mission. – The astronauts conducted experiments on the International Space Station to understand the effects of long-term space travel on the human body.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry, including the development of tools and systems used in space exploration. – Advances in technology have made it possible to send robotic probes to the farthest reaches of our solar system.
