The Lunar Orbital Prospector

Abstract

The Moon is a body rich in natural resources and full of intriguing scientific questions, and it will most certainly play a central role in the growth of near-Earth and deep space ventures of the twenty-first century. The LOP mission is an example of one way to catalog the Moon's natural resources and to answer lunar science questions in parallel. In a realistic planetary exploration program, this mission must compete with other interesting planetary missions and therefore the LOP must be as low cost and adaptable as possible. This flexibility is reflected in the LOP's heavy design emphasis on modularity. The LOP mission can easily be expanded to include new technologies, and additional orbiters could be launched into lunar orbit to provide a constellation of remote-sensing platforms. This design thus projects a broad range of possibilities for continued lunar exploration in the next century.