At the end of February, a significant event will mark a new chapter in space exploration: The launch of the Prime-1 mission of NASA, part of the IM-2 program of intuitive machines. This mission represents one of the first concrete demonstrations ofuse of lunar resources directly on the field. Prime-1 will have the task of piercing lunar soil up to one meter of deptha strategic move to explore the potential of underground resources, including frozen water, near the South Lunar Pole.
Aboard the Lander Athena, Prime-1 is equipped with two revolutionary tools that will work in tandem: the Trivella Trident and the Msolo mass spectrometer. Unlike the drills of the Apollo missions, which were operated manually by the astronauts, Trident will be controlled directly by the earth, allowing a precision and an unprecedented collection of data. This tool will extract samples of lunar regolite, analyzing the temperature and other crucial properties of the subsoil.
Here is the video of the Mission published on the YouTube channel of the Italian Space Agency
Parallel, Msolo will have the task of analyzing the gases released during perforation. This analysis is essential to determine the composition of the gas and better understand the distribution of underground resources. These data will not only enrich our knowledge of the moon but could prove decisive for the support of future human missions, provided for by the Artemis program, which aim for long -term exploration.
The final goal of Prime-1 is ambitious: demonstrate that it is possible to use lunar resources in situ to support human life in space. This mission not only lays the foundations for future explorations but also opens the door to new possibilities for colonization of the space, making the long -term sustainable lunar exploration.