Exploration mass spectrometer model ready for shipping

The EMS-L structural thermal model ready for shipment to JAXA. The instrument is covered by a nitrogen-filled protective sealed bag: as a mass spectrometer, EMS-L is highly sensitive to a wide range of molecular species, and contamination needs to be avoided at all phases of manufacturing, integration and testing. The golden multi-layer insulation that will protect EMS-L from the cold lunar environment is stored separately.

ESA’s Exploration Mass Spectrometer for LUPEX (EMS-L) will investigate the Moon’s extremely thin exosphere, a tenuous mist of atoms and molecules surrounding the lunar surface.  

The instrument will travel to the Moon no earlier than 2028 on the joint Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO).