ABB has been awarded a contract by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop the concept for an Autonomous Lunar Exploration Infrared Spectrometer (ALExIS) for Canada's Lunar Utility Rover. Canada is developing a versatile utility rover to contribute to Moon exploration efforts led by space agencies around the world. As part of the contract, ABB engineers will adapt the company's Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) technology, currently deployed in 24/7 industrial operations worldwide, to the specific lunar environment and application.
ALEXiS will be designed to collect the spectral fingerprint of molecules from the edge of the visual range to the thermal infrared range.
Beneath the dusty regolith powder coat of the Moon's surface, the soil contains many of the key elements necessary to sustain human presence – oxygen, silicon, iron, aluminum, calcium, magnesium and even water ice – embedded in chemical compounds and unevenly distributed. Because of this peculiarity of the lunar landscape, rover-based prospection is likely to become a critical phase of Moon exploration.
ALExIS will use FTIR spectroscopy to measure how infrared light interacts with the soil, revealing its chemical composition and mapping the distribution of key elements. This data will provide scientists with vital insights to better understand lunar surface composition and morphology.
"We are extremely proud to be a part of this important next chapter of lunar exploration," said Marc Corriveau, General Manager for ABB's Measurement & Analytics division, Canada. "Our FTIR analytical technology has delivered reliable, high-precision results in demanding industrial environments on Earth, and now it can provide the same level of performance contributing to the exploration of the Moon."
ABB's team will work in close collaboration with lunar exploration and rover experts to identify the best use-case and concept of operations, a key aspect of product development. In addition, ABB will help lay out the plan for future development phases along with cost-performance metrics.
ABB's interferometers have demonstrated exceptional reliability in the harsh conditions of space and this new contract highlights the continued trust in ABB as a technology leader. A prime example is ABB's FTIR aboard CSA's SciSat satellite, which has been operating for over 22 years, delivering the most comprehensive view of our atmosphere from orbit to the international scientific community. More recently, ABB explored a derivative of its methane leak detection technology for the Martian surface with the potential to track biosignatures from the planet's thin atmosphere. Earlier this year, ABB also announced a contract with the agency for the TICFIRE imager, which will advance global climate monitoring capabilities.
The lunar rover contract reinforces ABB's commitment to innovation and highlights the work of its 220-strong engineering team dedicated to space technologies at ABB's Quebec City facility in Canada. A leader in optical satellite instrumentation, ABB has 45 customer-specific optical payloads orbiting on 29 satellites, providing crucial data for environmental monitoring and scientific research.