Scientific Exploration of the Moon

Abstract

The exploration of the Moon has involved a highly successful interdisciplinary approach to solving a number of scientific problems. It has required the interactions of astronomers to classify surface features; cartographers to map interesting areas; geologists to unravel the history of the lunar crust; geochemists to decipher its chemical makeup; geophysicists to establish its structure; physicists to study the environment; and mathematician to work with engineers on optimizing the delivery to and from the Moon of exploration tools. Although, to date, the harvest of lunar science has not answered all the questions posed, it has already given us a much better understanding of the Moon and its history. Additionally, the lessons learned from this endeavor have been applied successfully to planetary missions. The scientific exploration of the Moon has not ended; it continues to this day and plans are being formulated for future lunar missions.

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References

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