Next stop, the moon! Lunar Mission One reveals more about its plans to build a human base within the next 10 years
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British scientists have unveiled detailed plans for a proposed mission to the moon, which could take place within the next decade.
The aim of the mission is to analyse the lunar South Pole and assess its potential for a possible human base to be developed in the future.
A probe will also drill 330ft (100 metres) below the surface to look at whether it will be possible to someday have observatories on the moon.
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British scientists have unveiled detailed plans for a proposed UK-led mission to the moon which they hope will take place in the next decade. Called Lunar Mission One the crowd-funded spacecraft will fly to the lunar South Pole where there is constant sunlight (illustration shown)
Up until now, there have been no missions to the moon's South Pole, which is of particular interest because its home to the largest impact crater on the Moon, the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin.
The SPA has a diameter of 1,550 miles (2,500km) and covers almost a quarter of the moon.
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Scientists believe remnants from the SPA impact may still be present in this area, and analysis of the material may be used to date the basin.
The Lunar Mission One vehicle will be delivered into space by a medium-lift rocket, such as SpaceX's Falcon 9, before embarking on its journey to the moon.
Once on the moon, the spacecraft will drill 100 metres (330 feet) down to collect samples for scientific analysis (illustrated). It will collect samples every six inches (15cm), which will be scooped up and placed in the spacecraft for scientific analysis to answer questions about the moon
Once there, it will carry out a descent sequence to the lunar surface, with four engines ensuring it lands gently within a pre-determined landing site the size of a football stadium.
On the surface it will drill to depths of up to 330 feet (100 metres), collecting samples every six inches (15cm) for analysis on board the spacecraft.
It's thought that the top 33ft (10 metres) of rock will be a fine-grained deposit from constant bombardment of meteorites and smaller particles.
Further down, though, the moon is thought to be made of rocks that fused together by pressure and heat from asteroid impacts long ago.
The deepest samples that have been obtained are from three metres below the surface, by Apollo 17 Astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt in 1972.
The samples of varying depths will be analysed on board the spacecraft inside special capsules (illustrated). It's thought that the top 33 feet (10 metres) or so of rock will be a fine-grained deposit from constant bombardment of meteorites and smaller particles, while further down will be rock fused by heat
Inside the hole (illustrated) will be placed archived data from the public on Earth. People can buy a space on the memory discs for £64 ($100). The team are seeking funding now and hope to launch in 2024
Among the scientific questions hoping to be answered, Lunar Mission One wants to discover the true origins of the moon.
Backers for the mission, dubbed Lunar Mission One, hope to raise money from the public by inviting people to buy space on memory discs for less than £64 ($100) each.
These discs will act like time capsules for photos, videos and other files, and will be buried in a bore hole drilled into the lunar surface.
British engineer and city financier David Iron, who came up with the plan said: 'People can put any information they like in the memory disc; it will be like a personal time capsule, a private archive. It could be a small message saying "hi, I'm Joe" or a whole family history.'
Professor Ian Crawford, who is one of Lunar Mission One's scientific advisers, said that despite more than 50 expeditions to the moon, far more needs to be done to understand our satellite.
'Until recently the European Space Agency had plans for a lunar lander (which has since been scrapped) and the science case for Lunar Mission One is quite similar,' he told BBC News.
'In addition, we propose to have a drill so there will be new science too'.
Professor Ian Crawford, who is one of Lunar Mission One's scientific advisers, said that despite more than 50 expeditions to the moon, far more needs to be done to understand our satellite. Artist's impression pictured
The spacecraft will be delivered into space by a medium-lift rocket such as SpaceX's Falcon 9, pictured launching in July this year from Cape Canaveral in the US
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