Lunar CubeSat Lander

The far side of the moon is largely unexplored due to risk and cost.Team 18100’s CubeSat will land on Mare Moscoviense, a lunar sea on the far side of the moon, to conduct scientific research. The 24-kilogram CubeSat has custom software and advanced hardware to navigate from the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway at the second Lagrange point to the surface, including a star-tacking navigation system, an inertial measurement unit, and a mono-propellant system. During the 53-hour flight, the CubeSat will deploy solar panels to power the system. The landing legs –made from nitinol, a shape memory alloy that can be deformed for storage and deployed as the parent shape with a heat source –will secure and stabilize the craft for a soft drop from one meter above the lunar surface. After landing, the CubeSat will take pictures of the lunar surface and transmit its location back to the Gateway. A nanodrill will collect approximately 10 grams of soil from the surface, and the CubeSat will continue to transmit its location until all power systems eventually run out, shutdown occurs, and it awaits retrieval.