High hopes for (unmanned) Euro Moon mission | BBC [View All]

High hopes for Euro Moon mission

The Smart 1 craft employs solar power technology
A revolutionary new type of solar powered engine will be at the centre of Europe's first ever mission to the Moon, project leaders have announced.

They said the ion engines turn "science fiction into science fact" and will transform space travel by propelling craft at higher speeds over greater distances.

Once in orbit around the Earth's nearest neighbour the unmanned probe, called Smart 1 explorer, will use British technology to map the entire surface of the Moon for the first time.

It is hoped the mission will help form a better understanding of how the Moon was born and provide more information about its make-up.

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