The Polish spectrometer will help determine where to look for resources on the Moon. Polish startup MIRORES is responsible for the instrument, which will be part of the LUPE project, a mission to map the lunar surface in the mid- and far-infrared ranges.

MIRORES is developing the spectrometer as part of the High-Resolution Moon Mineralogy Mapper project, conducted by the LUPE consortium for ESA, the company reports.

A sustained human presence on the Moon will depend, among other things, on the ability to use locally available resources. Transporting water, oxygen, fuel and construction materials from Earth is extremely costly, making the development of ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization) technologies a priority for future space programmes. Before lunar resource extraction can begin, however, the locations of minerals containing these materials must be identified precisely.

Satellite data can currently determine the general content of rock-forming minerals on the surfaces of celestial bodies, but the resolution and spectral range of existing instruments are insufficient to determine the specific composition of key rock constituents. This makes it difficult to assess which areas could actually provide resources needed for future missions and where landing sites, bases and subsequent stages of exploration should be planned.

The LUPE project aims to bridge this gap. The planned mission will map the lunar surface in the mid- and far-infrared ranges to determine the distribution of specific minerals. The spectrometer will examine features that are invisible or barely visible within the spectral ranges of instruments previously sent into lunar orbit.

Within the LUPE consortium, the Polish company MIRORES – founded by engineers and scientists affiliated with institutions including the Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław University of Science and Technology and the University of Warsaw – is responsible for the mission's primary instrument: a mid- and far-infrared spectrometer.

The device is designed to search for ilmenite, a mineral associated with the potential extraction of iron, titanium, oxygen and helium-3, which ilmenite captures from the solar wind.

Researchers also hope the device will detect deposits of apatite on the Moon, as this mineral may contain rare-earth elements and the hydroxyl (OH) group. Another objective of the mission is to search for water ice in the polar regions.

"We cannot build future lunar infrastructure in random locations. First, we need to know where resources are located, as transporting everything from Earth would be prohibitively expensive. LUPE is designed to provide data that will allow us to much more accurately pinpoint areas important for future bases and the utilization of lunar raw materials," says Jakub Ciążela, PhD, co-founder and CEO of MIRORES, quoted in the press release.

Work on the mission has been proceeding in stages since 2024. According to the current schedule, the earliest launch date is September 2029, with lunar orbital operations planned through 2031.

"From orbit, we will record the infrared radiation spectrum emanating from the lunar surface. Specific minerals leave behind characteristic signatures in this spectrum, signatures that are invisible in standard photographs and cannot always be definitively identified in the near-infrared range. This will enable us to supplement existing mineralogical maps and identify areas requiring more detailed study during the second stage of exploration using rovers," says Jarosław Bąkała, chief engineer and co-founder of MIRORES.

The company is also testing ground-based versions of its spectrometers in field conditions, such as mines and geological sites. This experience will be used to develop an instrument capable of operating in the lunar environment. (PAP)

abu/ bar/

tr. RL