| Names | LEO |
|---|---|
| Operator | German Aerospace Center |
| Mission duration | 4 years (proposed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | ~650 kg (1,430 lb) including sub satellite |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2012 (proposed) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Selenocentric |
| Periselene altitude | 50 km (31 mi) |
| Epoch | planned |
LEO (Lunarer Erkundungsorbiter;English:Lunar Exploration Orbiter) was the name of a proposedGerman mission to theMoon, announced by theGerman Aerospace Center (DLR) Director Walter Doellinger on March 2, 2007. Because the necessary funding for 2009 was diverted elsewhere, the start of the project was delayed indefinitely.[1]
Precise characteristics of the mission were announced in early 2008, and estimated costs were projected to be ca. €350 million (~$514 million) over five years. The mission would involve alunar orbiter thatDLR intended to build and launch in 2012 to map the lunar surface. It would be the first German mission to the Moon and the firstEuropean mission to the Moon sinceSMART-1.
Numerous leading German planetologists, among themGerhard Neukum,Ralf Jaumann and Tilman Spohn, have condemned the indefinite postponement and argue for resuming the LEO-project.[2]
The main satellite will weigh about 500 kilograms and is accompanied by a small sub-satellite, which weighs about 150 kilograms. The intended orbital altitude is about 50 km.
Planned experiments included measurements of lunargravitational andmagnetic fields. The main satellite would have also carried a microwave radar to probe beneath the lunar surface up to a depth of a few hundred meters. At maximum depth the radar would be able to resolve structures up to two meters.
The duration of the mission around the Moon will be four years, during which the charting of the entire lunar surface would take place. The survey is to be three-dimensional and in colour with one aim being to provide indications of significant geological formations that could later be of interest for drilling.
The probe will also investigate the Moon's magnetic and gravity fields, look for water and analyse the minerals on its surface. It will use the best camera currently available, the bestradar sensors and unique spectrum sensors for measuring the mineral composition.