Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Novara, M
• Kassing, D

Titel

The LEDA mission: Exploration opportunities prompted by a return to the Moon

Ist Teil von

• Advances in space research, 1997-01, Vol.19 (10), p.1629-1635

Ort / Verlag

Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

1997

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Elsevier Journal Backfiles on ScienceDirect (DFG Nationallizenzen)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The main objective of the proposed LEDA (Lunar European Demonstration Approach) mission is for Europe to soft-land a spacecraft on the lunar surface and to operate it in situ, using mostly European means, technologies and capabilities. The spacecraft shall carry a payload to undertake investigations pertinent to the future phases of the ESA programme of lunar exploration and utilisation. Technology demonstration is the main objective of LEDA, but the mission shall also provide the scientific return compatible with the accomplishment of its primary objective. This must be accomplished within a total cost of 350 MECU to the European Space Agency (ESA). A LEDA Assessment Study has been conducted by ESA together with ASI, CNES and DLR, with some support from European industry in critical areas, during 1994–1995. This study has shown that it is within the capabilities of ESA, working together with other European agencies, to undertake a lander mission to the Moon early in the 21 st Century, and to demonstrate safe and effective landing and surface operations. The Assessment Study has defined a baseline mission, to be used for further analysis in future preparatory activities. The baseline mission is presented in this paper, including an overview of the envisaged exploration opportunities and of the reference scientific payload.