CfAI helps NASA develop Lunar Thermal Mapper to detect and map water on the lunar surface

The Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI) at Durham University will participate in the development of the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) infrared multispectral image in collaboration with Oxford University and RAL Space on the UK side, and NASA, JPL Caltech, Lockheed Martin on the US side. The LMT is an instrument of the Lunar Trailblazer (NASA SIMPLEx small planetary science mission) which will detect and map water on the lunar surface. CfAI will provide the 5 all aluminium freeform optics of the LMT. CfAI acknowledges the support received from the UK Space Agency.

Images used in this story: Main image is of a mock-up of the lunar trailblazer in orbit above the moon, and the 2 images beneath are of a mirror prototype (front and back) made in 2020 for the Atmospheric Physics group at Oxford. A complete prototype of the Lunar Thermal Mapper instrument was assembled and tested and this led to the successful proposal of this design for the Lunar Traiblazer.

For more information please visit https://trailblazer.caltech.edu/