A robotic scout that will be launched on India's first mission to the moon will carry two U.S. science instruments, one of which will look for ice deposits at the lunar poles.
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, signed agreements today for U.S. cooperation on the so-called Chandrayaan-1 mission, which is set for launch in late 2007 or early 2008.
The agreements were signed in Bangalore, India. Griffin is touring India's satellite development center, launch vehicle production center and launch site.
"It is my hope and belief that as we extend the reach of human civilization throughout the solar system, the United States and India will be partners on many more technically challenging and and scientifically rewarding projects," Griffin said at a ceremony in Bangalore.
The Chandrayaan-1 mission will involve launching an Indian spacecraft into orbit around the moon. A NASA instrument that will map mineral reseources on the moon will be onboard along with a small imaging radar that will be used to look for ice deposits in lunar polar regions.
NASA officials say data from the instruments will help scientists and engineers identify potential sites for American astronauts to explore when the U.S. returns to the moon around 2018.
A technical paper on the radar instrument can be found here: minisar.pdf
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