In a significant step forward in lunar exploration, an instrument designed to observe the Moon’s atmosphere was successfully launched on 8 January 2024.
The instrument, called the Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS), was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida and is a part of Peregrine Mission One.
It was developed in collaboration with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) RAL Space, The Open University (OU) and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA GSFC), funded through UK Space Agency and European Space Agency.
The instrument aims to determine the composition of trace gases in the Moon’s atmosphere (exosphere), as well as look for water and other volatile compounds that could prove vital for establishing crewed bases on the Moon.
