Advance in Research on Lunar Space Environment

M. Wang, J. Ping, M. Wang, S. Han

Transactions of IAA RAS, issue 53, 18–22 (2020)

DOI: 10.32876/ApplAstron.53.18-22

Keywords: Moon, space environment, lunar dust, lunar ionosphere, Chang'E-4, low frequency radio astronomy

Abstract

Although the Moon is one of the most extensively explored objects apart from the Earth, the space environment of the Moon is still a mystery. In this paper the current research progress and existing problems of the lunar space environment, which were revealed by in-situ technique and radio experiments, are reviewed. In the course of in-situ exploration, the NASA’s missions ARTEMIS and LADEE (the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) yielded information about the electromagnetic and dust environments of the Moon. The radio experiments were operated by Luna19&22, SELENE and the circumlunar return and reentry spacecraft. These observations confirmed that the ionosphere does exist around the Moon and the maximum electron column concentration is about $0.5 × 10^{16}$ electrons/$m^2$. The changes in the electron column concentration in the lunar ionosphere observed in different missions suggest that more observations are needed to understand the time variation of lunar ionosphere. The low frequency radio astronomical payloads carried by Chang'E-4 relay satellite and the lander were designed to record the low frequency radio signals and were able to detect the possible plasma waves and thus help us better understand the lunar space environment.

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