ISOCHRON (spacecraft)

ISOCHRON
NamesInner SOlar system CHRONogy
Mission typeLunar sample-return
OperatorNASA
Start of mission
Launch date2025 (proposed)[1]
Moon lander
Landing siteSouth of Aristarchus plateau[1][2]
Sample mass150 g (5.3 oz)[1]

ISOCHRON (Inner SOlar system CHRONogy) is a proposed lunar sample-return mission that would retrieve samples of the youngest lunar mare basalt.

This robotic mission was proposed in July 2019 to NASA's Discovery Program.[1][2] It was not shortlisted.

  1. ^ a b c d Meghan Bartels (March 25, 2019) NASA Needs Fresh Moon Rocks. This Sample-Return Mission Could Get Them. Space.
  2. ^ a b D. S. Draper, R. L. Klima, S. J. Lawrenc1, B. W. Denevi, and the ISOCHRON Team (2019). "The Inner Solar System Chronology (ISOCHRON) Discovery Mission: Returning Samples of the Youngest Lunar Mare Basalts" (PDF). 50th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2132). 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference: 1110. Bibcode:2019LPI....50.1110D.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) Poster