I wanted to kick off a discussion about the preliminary science objectives for LM-1. What you are excited about, what you are dubious about, and what suggestions there may be for improvements and/or new experiments.

The current preliminary science case is available here - lunarmissionone.com/files/Preliminary-Lu...ntific-Rationale.pdf


I'll start things off;

I'm exited about the in-situ dating of the SPA basin and uncovering more about it's formation and composition.
The idea of using the Moon as a base for telescopes to view the stars and using monitoring equipment based on the Moon to study the Earth seems like a natural thing to do, so I'm happy that this mission has an objective to address the feasibility of some aspects of this.

Even though it promises some of the most exciting science (well, to me, but I enjoy rocks) the drilling program seems like it could go wrong pretty easily, having the borehole collapse onto the wireline drill rig, having the drill bit bind or get stuck on a subsurface boulder that's too hard to go through.
Some things can't be foreseen, but small sections of casing to stabilize the borehole might be an idea, though they would have to be light and a way of emplacing them easily would need to be developed. Would it be worth adding mass and complexity to the drill assembly at the end of the wire to take some in-situ measurements, much like wireline logging for terrestrial drilling?

They're my first thoughts. Criticise, comment and think of new ways to test the ideas of the mission.

We might even end up helping!

I open the floor to you!

Hi
I agree Alex, A lot can go wrong with this mission, but the way the misison is being sold, it looks like they great minds of LM1 are thinking in depth and in great detail about the pro's and con's of this mission. I'm sure there will be more pro's than con's otherwise the mission wouldn't have gone ahead in my opinion.
But you can then counter claim that and say there were huge risks with the Space Shuttle programme and Apollo programme, along with the Rosetta Mission. All have had brilliant results.
I think this mission will go without a hitch and the minds of LM1 have thought about your concerns regarding the drilling also.. well I'd like to think so..

The 1 point I totally agree on will be the Telescope on the Moon.
Another Telescope will be launched soon I believe. The James Webb Telescope I think it is named, which will be placed in a higher orbit than Hubble.
The ISS has been built over a number of years, I think another great idea like you have said, Build a Telescope on the Moon to look further back in time, which can also be built over a period of time.
LM1 will be able to analyise the surface of the Moon in depth hopefully and bring back some interesting results where furture generations are able to create this Lunar Telescope.

Hi, another great topic. I am also amazed that we have never put a Telescope of any kind on the Moon before now. As for the future, it would seem sensible for the Moon to become a base for the further exploration of our Neighbourhood and beyond and I wonder what information will be learnt from the LM1 mission that will perhaps go towards this understanding, just another one of those small steps for Mankind.