Surface and Exosphere Alterations by Landers (SEAL): NASA’s Next Lunar Payload?

Tuesday, September 1, 2020 - 10:00 in Astronomy & Space

PROJECT Surface and Exosphere Alterations by Landers (SEAL) SNAPSHOT SEAL will provide valuable in situ lunar data to give scientists insight into how a spacecraft landing might affect the composition of nearby regolith samples. SEAL engineers and technicians assemble the flight payload in a clean room at GSFC. When a space vehicle lands on the Moon, it interacts with the lunar surface by kicking up dust, creating heat, and even leaving chemical traces. Scientists need a way to gauge how the materials in the vicinity of lunar landing sites are affected to ensure accurate analysis of any surface samples collected nearby. Enter the Surface and Exosphere Alterations by Landers (SEAL) payload—a lunar-bound payload recently developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The SEAL flight payload installed in a thermal vacuum chamber at NASA/GSFC. In transit to the Moon and upon landing, SEAL will acquire unique and valuable data that will provide information about the lunar regolith. ...

Read the whole article on Science @ NASA

More from Science @ NASA

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox! It's free!

Check out our next project, Biology.Net