A pioneering thermal imaging camera built at the University of Oxford is about to launch aboard NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission, which aims to search for water on the moon.

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Lunar Pathfinder in lunar orbit about 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface. The spacecraft weighs just 440 pounds (200 kilograms) and is 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) wide when the solar panels are fully deployed. Source: NASA

The small spacecraft will scan the lunar surface for hidden water ice, particularly in shadowed craters at the South Pole, where future astronauts may find a sustainable source of water. The mission will use cutting-edge sensors, including the UK-developed Lunar Thermal Imager, to create the most detailed map of water to date, providing vital data for future exploration and deep space travel.

On Wednesday, February 26, a thermal imaging camera designed by researchers at the University of Oxford's Department of Physics will be launched to the moon as part of NASA's Lunar Pathfinder mission. The mission aims to map water sources on the moon, help scientists understand the lunar water cycle, and provide important data for future robotic and human exploration.

NASA's Lunar Trailblazer went into service shortly after integrating its second and final science instrument, the Lunar Thermal Mapper, in a clean room at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado. The green tape on the spacecraft will be removed before launch. Image source: Lockheed Martin Lunar Pathfinder

Once in orbit, the spacecraft, which weighs 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) and is about the size of a washing machine, will scan the lunar surface 12 times a day with a resolution of 50 meters (about 165 feet). Using state-of-the-art instruments, it will focus on the moon's key features, including the permanently shadowed craters at the moon's south pole, which may contain large amounts of water ice -- possibly 600 million tons. If proven, this water ice could be purified and used as drinking water, or processed into fuel and breathable oxygen, making long-term lunar missions more feasible.

The Lunar Thermal Imager (LTM), developed by the University of Oxford's Planetary Experiment Group, is a key component of the mission. This advanced instrument will measure the lunar surface temperature and analyze the minerals that make up the lunar terrain, helping to confirm the presence and location of water. The LTM will work with NASA/JPL's High-Resolution Volatiles and Minerals Lunar Mapper (HVM3) to produce the most detailed map of lunar surface water to date.

Lunar Pathfinder data collection infographic. Source: FiloMeridforLunarTrailblazer

Lunar Trailblazer is a selected project for NASA's 2019 Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx), which provides the opportunity for low-cost science spacecraft to hitch a ride on selected primary missions. The spacecraft will launch as an auxiliary payload for a planned lunar lander mission led by Intuitive Machines, effectively hitching a ride on the larger spacecraft that will attempt a soft landing on the moon.

Because the spacecraft's engines are relatively small, its planned orbit will use the gravitational pull of the sun, Earth and moon to guide it into its final orbit -- a technique known as low-energy transfer. The power provided by the rocket boosters will propel the spacecraft past the moon and into deep space before being pulled back by gravity. The spacecraft will then use the explosive power of small thrusters to slowly correct its orbit until it is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface. Lunar Pathfinder will take four to seven months to reach its final orbit.

The LTM was built by the Planetary Experiments Group in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, with £3.1 million in funding from the UK Space Agency and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). For the team, building the LTM is the latest achievement in 50 years of developing components for spaceflight and infrared thermal imaging cameras, including components for missions to Mars, Saturn and the Moon. LTM’s components are produced by a number of UK academic institutions and companies (details below), a collective effort that highlights the UK’s leadership in space exploration and scientific research.

In early February 2025, NASA's Lunar Pathfinder sat on a rotating fixture before being refueled and installed on the EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) ring at the SpaceX Payload Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ESPA ring is an adapter used to launch secondary payloads on launch vehicles. Two of the mission's scientific instruments are clearly visible. Here, the spacecraft is mounted horizontally on the ESPA ring in launch condition. Image source: SpaceX

Professor Neil Bowles, instrument scientist for the Lunar Thermal Imager at the Department of Physics, University of Oxford, said:

"The Lunar Thermal Imager was designed, built and tested in Oxford, and this launch is an important moment for our entire team. Measurements of the temperature will help confirm the presence of a water signal in HVM3's measurements, and together the two instruments will map the Moon's composition, showing us details that have only been hinted at before."

The mission could also reveal why there is water on the moon. Possible causes include comets and "wet asteroids" hitting the moon; ancient volcanic eruptions that expelled water vapor from the moon's interior; or hydrogen in the solar wind combining with oxygen on the moon. Lunar Pathfinder findings will reveal which hypothesis is more likely.

Lauren Taylor, head of major projects at the British Space Agency, said:

"The UK Space Agency is delighted to be participating in NASA's Lunar Pathfinder mission. Our collaboration with the University of Oxford to develop the Lunar Thermal Imager demonstrates the UK's leadership in space exploration and scientific research. This mission will provide valuable data on the Moon's water resources, supporting future human missions and improving our understanding of the lunar environment."

Compiled from /ScitechDaily