LUPEX: JAXA And ISRO Collaboration Missions In Looking For Water On The Moon

Portrait of LUPEX, a lunar rover robot made by JAXA (photo: dock. JAXA)

JAKARTA - Since 2017, the Japan Space Explorer Agency (JAXA) and the Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) have decided to work together on a mission to explore the moon.

This collaboration was built to find water and other resources on the moon, rivaling the Artemis mission of the United States Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) which also wants to go to the moon.

To realize lunar exploration, JAXA made technology called the Moon Pole Exploration (LUPEX). This robot will become an explorer, while the robot from ISRO will become a lander.

The focus of this exploration is also limited to the Moon pole. The reason is, over the past few years, the Moon pole area is believed to contain water from supporting data.

Even so, the truth of this water is still being questioned. To answer this, of course, LUPEX must land first and carry out its mission to completion.

LUPEX is designed as a standalone robot. During this mission, this robot will drive itself and explore the areas set by JAXA and ISRO to find water.

This water search will be carried out by digging the lunar surface using a drill. LUPEX will take soil samples from the excavation for investigation of the elements inside.

The findings of LUPEX will be further analyzed by the researchers. They will find out the content of the lunar soil. If LUPEX manages to find water, quantity and quality of water, it also needs to be researched for long-term use.

Currently, LUPEX is going through the basic design and prototype manufacturing stage. JAXA had said that LUPEX would have a number of supporting instruments such as gauges containing regolite water and drilling equipment.

Not only that, LUPEX will also be accompanied by a sampling device and a driving system to a capable battery. JAXA will include all of this need while conducting a trial drive on a pile of sand similar to the moon mainland.

LUPEX is scheduled to be launched in 2025. So far, JAXA and ISRO have decided to land LUPEX in the south polar region of the moon. However, this location could change if the area they want is the destination of another space agency.