NEWS The project Umeå Lunar Venture at Umeå University, which will be first in the world to measure the electric field of the lunar surface, were paid a visit by Discovery Channel. The American tv channel is doing a piece on the group’s work on developing measuring equipment for the lunar venture.
“It’s a really exciting project, particularly as it’s run by students, researchers and enthusiasts in collaboration. Human activity on the Moon is very rare, which makes us particularly interested in spreading the word,” says Scott Lakey, producer at Discovery Channel.
Since 1976, only one moon-landing has been carried out. In 2013, China sent up an unmanned robot spacecraft with a rover on board to conduct geological investigations on the Moon. As it is, the race to the Moon has relaunched and Umeå University and its students are in on it. The rocket carrying the measuring equipment is expected to be launched in spring 2018.
“It’s such an exciting project to work on and the interest from the media is a sign that what we’re doing is also interesting to people outside the inner circle. The project has previously attracted some national interest, but it feels particularly special when Discovery Channel chooses to work with us,” says Sebastian Sjöquist, project manager of Umeå Lunar Venture, Space Science Sweden, and one of the founders of the project, who also works for Umeå University.
Editor: Anna Lawrence