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A new NASA mission is about to reveal unprecedented information about temperatures on the lunar surface and the mysteries behind their variations.
The Moon, our closest celestial neighbor, still holds deep mysteries beneath its dusty surface. Despite missions Apollo have provided historical exploration over 50 years ago, there are gaps in understanding their structure internal and thermal evolution.
Now with the program Artemis NASA's focus on establishing a sustainable human presence on the satellite, a new instrument promises to change the way we approach this challenge.
LISTER: A new tool for lunar knowledge
Lunar Instrumentation for Rapid Subterranean Thermal Exploration, known as LISTER, will be sent to the lunar surface in 2025. Its mission?
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Measure the heat flow from the Moon's interior and uncover details about its formation, cooling and evolution over the 4,5 billion years of its history.
Based on samples brought back by Apollo and data from missions such as the GRAIL, we already know that the Moon is not a cold, inert celestial body. Research indicates a complex interior, including a solid inner core surrounded by an outer layer of molten material.
O LISTER will allow scientists to analyze how heat moves through the lunar regolith, contributing to the understanding of the thermal processes that shaped the satellite.
Drilling and challenges of lunar soil
The Moon's regolith, a layer of fine, abrasive dust formed by impacts over eons, is a significant obstacle. Drilling into this surface is no easy task.
For this, the LISTER It was designed with a pneumatic excavation system that uses controlled bursts of gas, clearing the path for the drill to advance with precision.
The tool will drill up to three meters deep, measuring two crucial aspects: the thermal gradient, which shows how the temperature varies with depth, and thermal conductivity, which indicates the material's ability to transfer heat.
How LISTER will measure the Moon's heat
The measurement process involves inserting a high-precision needle-shaped sensor into the soil every half meter deep.
This sensor, equipped with a platinum resistance thermometer, records soil temperature for periods of between 30 and 60 minutes, producing detailed heat flow data. This approach will be repeated at different points on the lunar surface to create a comprehensive thermal profile.
According to Seiichi Nagihara, the mission's principal investigator and a professor of geophysics at Texas Tech, these measurements will help reconstruct the Moon's thermal evolution.
"This will allow scientists to retrace the geological processes that shaped the Moon from its beginnings as a ball of molten rock.”, Nagihara said.
The data obtained by LISTER have immediate and practical implications. With the Artemis program preparing for human missions to the Moon and, in the future, Mars, understanding the thermal behavior of the lunar subsurface is essential for planning bases, extracting resources and installing scientific equipment.
