OREANDA-NEWS  Researchers from the Finnish Meteorological Institute and Aurora Propulsion Technologies have developed a lunar cannon project for firing cargo into space. This is reported in an article published on the arXiv preprint server.

Lunar gravity anomalies, known through the GRAIL satellite, are often considered a problem for orbital missions. However, the authors suggest using these anomalies as a way to do without complex propulsion systems on board spacecraft with payloads. This will reduce the need for fuel and free up more resources for exploring other objects in the Solar System.

The basic idea is to use a cannon on the surface of the Moon, which accelerates passive loads to an orbital speed of about 1.7 kilometers per second. Cargo launched using such an installation will be able to spend up to nine days in orbit, which is more than possible with conventional passive launches, when cargo either returns to the Moon or becomes space debris.

The researchers have identified several promising points for installing the engine on the surface of the Moon. These places are located on the slopes of mountains and are located on the visible side of the Moon from Earth. It is important that unique gravitational anomalies appear in these places, which will allow the payload to stay in orbit longer.

A long stay in orbit will enable a highly efficient tugboat equipped with an electric propulsion system to capture a payload and deliver it to the space station at the L5 Lagrange point between Earth and the Moon. This will make the tugboat reusable and reduce the cost of launching it.

The authors of the study emphasize that the construction of a mass engine on the Moon is possible using existing technologies, but will require significant engineering efforts. This development could be an important step towards more active use of the Moon's resources for further exploration of the Solar system.