SMART-1 is the first of ESA’s Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology. It will head for the Moon using solar-electric propulsion and carrying a battery of miniaturised instruments.

Credits: Illustration by AOES Medialab, ESA 2002

SMART-1 is the first in this programme. Its primary objective is to flight test Solar Electric Primary Propulsion as the key technology for future Cornerstones in a mission representative of a deep-space one. ESA's projected BepiColombo mission to explore the planet Mercury could be the first to benefit from SMART-1's demonstration of electric propulsion. Another objective is to test new technologies for spacecraft and instruments.

The planetary objective selected for the SMART-1 mission is to orbit the Moon for a nominal period of six months. It is the first time that Europe sends a spacecraft to the Moon. The project aims to have the spacecraft ready early in 2003 for launch as an Ariane-5 auxiliary payload. In addition to the use of solar electric primary propulsion to reach Earth's natural satellite, the spacecraft will carry out a complete programme of scientific observations in lunar orbit.

Credits: ESA