NASA is sending a spacecraft to the Moon to explore “one of the most distinctive and enigmatic natural features on the Moon.” The space agency has chosen Intuitive Machines for this task that will see the company’s Nova-C lander to the lunar surface, as part of the IMO-3 mission, slated to take off in 2024.
The lander will be attempting to land in the Reiner Gamma, an unknown lunar swirl – and hopefully, greatly expanding our understanding of our planet’s natural satellite in the process. There’s still a lot to be discovered, including how they form and how are they related to the Moon’s magnetic field.
Lunar swirls are still a mystery
As per NASA, until 1966 it was believed the swirls were craters. But the space agency’s Lunar Orbiter II spacecraft got close enough evidence that they weren’t craters. In 1972, astronomers then discovered that the swirls were magnetized, with one swirl on one side causing other swirls to form on the opposite side of the Moon.
“This delivery to the Moon will help the US expand our capabilities and learn more about this interesting region,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “Observing lunar swirls can give us information about the Moon’s radiation environment and perhaps how to mitigate its effects.”
Human presence on Moon
Understanding levels of radiation on the lunar surface is important for the space agency’s plans to establish a human presence on the Moon. The IMO-3 mission will send over 200 pounds of payload to Reiner Gamma, including equipment to measure the magnetic field of the Moon. A fleet of smaller robots will also be deployed from the lander to create a 3D map of its surroundings.
Lunar swirls are still a mystery and observing them could provide useful information about the Moon’s magnetic field, and how humans can be protected from the fierce solar winds bombarding its surface once they reach there.
Besides, NASA is planning to send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon in just a few years from now. They’ll be using a Moon buggy to navigate through the rocky terrain of the Moon.
