Germany commissioned Astrium, a unit of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS), to study the feasibility of robotic moon landings.
In contrast, the United States, China and perhaps other nations are aiming for manned missions to the moon by the end of the next decade.
The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) asked Astrium to prove the technological feasibility of a soft and precise robotic landing on the moon.
That study will last nine months and be worth nearly Euro1 million ($1.4126 million.)
It will conclude when the technical specifications for the landing vehicle have been determined. The next step will be development, construction and testing of the vehicle to simulate a moon landing on Earth.
A robotic moon landing specifically requires an autonomous and optical navigation system to carry out the landing smoothly and precisely, plus a very complex propulsion system. “The technologies for this type of landing are currently only available in part, or they have to be built from scratch,” study manager Dr. Peter Kyr said in Bremen on Friday. Kyr stressed that Astrium has top-grade know-how thanks to the successful ATV mission and the flight demonstrator PHOENIX.
The first phase of the study is scheduled to begin in June and should last nine months. During the second phase, the trial carrier will be used to test key technologies as well as the system designed to carry out the soft and precise landings. Engine-supported descents from an altitude of 1.5 kilometres will be performed during the planned trial flights and sensors for carrying out the soft landings, including navigation and obstacle avoidance, will also be tested. The trial runs will be conducted at a testing area in Germany, with the exact location being determined during the course of the study.
In addition, Astrium is working together with the DLR Institute for Aerospace Systems in Bremen on the construction of a facility to simulate moon and Mars landings. The company is also contributing towards an ESA study to develop a landing system.