Mission
The mission of the instrument is to map the lunar surface in the near infrared spectrum from 0.9 - 2.4 μm with an unprecedented resolution of 6 nm. The purpose of this is to obtain information on the mineral composition of the moon, which in turn will help getting insight into a number of questions:
- What is the cause of the global asymmetry of the moon, which on the far side has a thicker crust and lacks the Mare structures which are characteristic for the near side?
- What was the early thermal evolution of the moon?
- What is the vertical and lateral structure of the lunar crust and how did it develop?
- What is the composition and structure of the lunar mantle?
- Why is the moon different from other planets and how do planets work in terms of surface processes, heat transfer, and geologic evolution?
- Are the Apollo geophysical measurements representative of the moon, or are they only valid for the small regions around the Apollo landing sites?
Read more about this topic: SIR-2
Famous quotes containing the word mission:
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—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“It is the mission of the twentieth century to elucidate the irrational.”
—Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1907–1961)