ESA picks two tiny spacecraft to study the dark side of the Moon
Tiny cube spacecraft aren't just useful around Earth's orbit. The European Space Agency has chosen two winners in a competition to build cubesats that will study the dark side of the Moon. The first, the Lunar Meteoroid Impact Orbiter (Lumio), would circle around the Moon's far side to map meteor bombardments by looking for bright flashes. The Lunar Volatile and Minearology Mapping Orbiter (VMMO), meanwhile, would study the permanently darkened Shackleton Crater near the lunar south pole to look for water ice and other materials that could be useful for colonists . It would keep watch for radiation, too. Both devices are 12-unit cubesats that would be roughly as large as an "airline cabin bag." The differences mainly come down to sensors -- Lumio would use an optical camera, while VMMO would rely on a miniature laser. The winners will work with the ESA on mission plans in February and March. Just when they'll launch and how long they'll stay active w...