NASA and ESA scientists to bring next generation camera for future Moon missions

New technologies and innovations have helped scientists to take the space missions to the next level. We have received various mesmerizing images of space till now with amazing high-definition cameras. Now, the NASA astronauts are prepping up to take the next generation camera to the Moon to capture the detailed images of the Lunar surface. European astronauts and scientists have come together with NASA's Artemis imagery team to complete this crucial task.

Next generation camera for moon

NASA and ESA has been working together to build an amazing next-generation camera to capture the lunar surface. The new camera for moon is constructed with the usage of professional off-the-shelf cameras. These cameras are known for their excellent light sensitivity and state-of-the-art lenses. In order to make this new camera efficient for space, the NASA team made several modifications which includes the the addition of a protective blanket to protect the camera from lunar dust and extreme thermal conditions. Other than this, ergonomic button adjustments were made to accommodate astronauts while wearing bulky spacesuits and gloves.

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Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) project

As a part of the PANGAEA training program, the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) project, conducted rigorous testing of the new camera in lunar-like terrains in Lanzarote, Spain,PANGAEA. These tests were carried out in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). This project is designed to train astronauts as effective field scientists for future lunar missions. The main objective of PANGAEA is to prepare astronauts to become efficient to visit space field for future lunar mission.The program had international crew that will evaluate the camera capabilities in realistic geological exploration scenarios.

Astronauts shoot and document their space exploration work during the geological field trip- with the help of the ESA Electronic Field Book. It is a tool that helps PANGAEA’s geology instructors stay connected with the crew and provide them with support from the science room. Notably, the science team was able to connect the crew in real time and they also received the audio and the video, this year.

According to a blog post by ESA, PANGAEA’s Project Lead, Loredana Bessone, shared the experience and said,“Adding the Moon camera allowed the crew to have a realistic taste of lunar surface exploration. It was a great enhancement of their experience, something we’d be happy to repeat in future editions.’’

This new addition to the space camera can be really helpful for future space missions and may guide scientists to dig deeper into the secrets of the lunar surface during the future Artemis mission.

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