MoonLITE

Not to be confused with MoonLIGHT.

MoonLITE
Mission typeLunar orbiter/penetrator
OperatorUK Space Agency
Start of mission
Launch date2014 (was planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSelenocentric
Lunar orbiter

The Moon Lightweight Interior and Telecoms Experiment (MoonLITE), was a proposed British space mission to explore the Moon and develop techniques for future space exploration.[1] If funded, it would have been built by a consortium of UK industry likely including Surrey Satellite Technology, and it was planned to be launched into lunar orbit in 2014.[2] The mission concept emerged from a study run by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (now the Science and Technology Facilities Council) in 2006.[3] In December 2008, the British National Space Centre (part of the UK Space Agency since April 2010) announced that the project was moving to a 12-month Phase A study of the mission systems and the planned penetrators.[4]

  1. ^ Ghosh, Pallab (10 January 2007). "Britain plans first Moon mission". BBC News.
  2. ^ Missile practice for Moon mission, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7438270.stm, BBC, 6 June 2008
  3. ^ "UK Lunar Science Missions: MoonLITE & Moonraker" (PDF). Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  4. ^ "MoonLITE mission gets green light for next step". Archived from the original on 15 March 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009. BNSC press release "MoonLITE mission gets green light for next step"