WIREDGOV

A sophisticated X-ray camera made by scientists and engineers from the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is set to launch into space on October 22nd aboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft – India’s first mission to the Moon. This is the first time the UK and India have collaborated in space science and the two countries’ space agencies will be attending the 59th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) next week (29 September - 3 October), along with space agencies from all over the globe. A replica of the camera will be on display at the IAC.

The camera - C1XS – was designed and built at STFC Space Science and Technology Department in the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. It is an X-Ray Spectrometer that will measure X-rays to map the surface composition of the Moon which will help scientists to understand its origin and evolution, as well as quantifying the mineral resources that exist there.

Chandrayaan-1 is the first lunar mission from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is designed to orbit the Moon and carries radar and particle detectors as well as instruments that will make observations in the visible, near infrared and X-ray part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Dr Ian Crawford from Birkbeck College, who chairs the C1XS Science Team, said, "There is still a lot we don’t know about the Moon. Accurate maps of the surface composition will help us unravel its internal structure and geological history. Among other things this will help us better understand the origin of the Earth-Moon system. We will also be able to learn more about what happened on the Moon since it formed and how and when it cooled. By peering into its craters, we may even be able to see below its crust to the material underneath."

C1XS was developed in conjunction with the Indian Space Research Organisation. It employs new technology to make a compact, lightweight, sensitive instrument that can measure the abundances of chemical elements in the lunar surface, by detecting the X-rays they absorb and re-emit. The spectrometer builds on a successful technology demonstration called D-CIXS, which was launched aboard the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Smart-1 mission to the Moon.

Prof Manuel Grande, C1XS Principal Investigator, Aberystwyth University, said, "In the UK we are rapidly becoming the world's leading maker of planetary X-ray instruments. C1XS will cement this position, and paves the way for UK leadership of similar instruments at Mercury and elsewhere in the Solar System."

C1XS will work by looking at X-rays from the Sun which have been absorbed by atoms in the lunar soil, then re-emitted in such a way as to reveal the chemistry of the surface. The spectrometer is sensitive to magnesium, aluminium and silicon X-rays. When the solar X-ray illumination is bright, for example during a solar flare, it may also be able to make measurements of other elements such as iron, titanium and calcium. To make accurate measurements of the surface elements it is essential to measure the X-rays being produced by the Sun. C1XS has an additional detector system to measure these X-rays called the X-ray Solar Monitor (XSM) which is provided by the University of Helsinki Observatory, Finland.

"C1XS uses an advanced version of conventional CCD sensors such as you might find in a digital camera, called swept charge devices. These are mounted behind a gold/copper ‘collimator’, which limits the field of view of the X-ray detectors to a narrow beam. Together these two innovations form an X-ray camera that has high resolution allowing identification of the surface elements, yet is far more compact and lower mass than other spacecraft’s X-ray spectrometers." said Chris Howe, C1XS Chief Engineer, from STFC Space Science and Technology Department.

Dr Ian Crawford concluded, "There is currently a renaissance in lunar exploration, with many international lunar missions either underway or planned for the next few years, leading up to the planned return of astronauts to the lunar surface by 2020. Through its involvement in C1XS, the UK is playing an important role in this international activity."

Notes for Editors

Images

C1XS is a joint UK-Indian instrument with a diverse range of national and international collaborators from both research and academic institutions. A full list of participating institutions is available at http://www.sstd.rl.ac.uk/c1xs/CO-I.htm

Contacts

Julia Short

STFC Press Office

Tel: +44 (0)1793 442 012

Email: julia.short@stfc.ac.uk

Dr Ian Crawford

Birkbeck College

Tel: 020 7679 3431

Email: i.crawford@ucl.ac.uk

Professor Manuel Grande

Aberystwyth University

Tel: (0)1970-622624

Email: m.grande@aber.ac.uk

Chris Howe

STFC SSTD

Tel: (01235) 445016

Email: C.J.Howe@rl.ac.uk

Participating UK Institutions:

STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Aberystwyth University, Birkbeck College, Brunel University, University College London.

Industry role:

Oxford Instruments Analytical (Finland); provision of XSM.

e2V; provision of Swept Charge Devices.

Other European-led instruments:

C1XS is one of three instruments funded by ESA for the Chandrayaan-1 mission.

SIR-2, a near infrared spectrometer, will survey the Moon’s mineral composition and the effect of space weathering on its surface. Data from the instrument will be used to study the formation of the geological features of the Moon. SIR-2 is led by the Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Science.

SARA, Sub-kilo electron volt Atom Reflecting Analyser, led by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, and developed with hardware contribution from India (SPL/VSSC), will investigate the space environment around the Moon, and the interactions of the solar wind with the Moon’s surface.

Facts

• Chandrayaan-1 is expected to launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota (SHAR), India.

• Within 18 days from launch Chandrayaan-1 will reach the Moon.

• Chandrayaan-1 will orbit the Moon at a height of 100km.

International Astronautical Congress 2008 http://www.iafastro.com/index.php?id=680

The 59th International Astronautical Congress takes place between 29 September and 3 October 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland.

IAC 2008 is being organised by the British Interplanetary Society (BIS), which was founded in 1933 and is the world's longest-established organisation devoted solely to supporting and promoting the exploration of space and astronautics.

The venue for the IAC 2008 is the state-of-the-art Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and the Crowne Plaza Hotel, situated on the banks on the River Clyde.

Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange partnerships.

The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories:

• The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire

• The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire

• The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh

The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.

The Council distributes public money from the Government to support scientific research. Between 2008 and 2009 it will invest approximately £787 million.

The Council is a partner in the UK space programme, coordinated by the British National Space Centre.