VMMO
CubeSat Lunar orbiter by ESA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lunar Volatile and Mineralogy Mapping Orbiter (VMMO) is a future uncrewed lunar orbiter in the form of a 16U CubeSat, under development by the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft will map the distribution of water ice and ilmenite (FeTiO3) in the lunar South Pole region, as well as monitor the cis-lunar environment. It will carry a multi-wavelength lidar, a radiation monitor, and a GNSS receiver. VMMO is expected to launch in 2028.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Mission type | Exploration of the Moon |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESA |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 16U CubeSat |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | NET 2028 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Regime | Polar frozen orbit |
See also
- List of European Space Agency programmes and missions
- Other European deep space CubeSat missions:
- HENON — launch in 2026, a space weather mission, ESA's first ever stand-alone deep space CubeSat
- M-Argo — launch in 2027, a mission to an asteroid
- LUMIO — launch in 2027, a mission to characterize the impacts of near-Earth meteoroids on the lunar far side
- Satis — launch in 2030, a mission to an asteroid
