| Abstract |
SMART-1 is an ESA minisatellite technology mission to the moon (part of the ESA Horizons 2000 Science plan) with the objective to demonstrate innovative and key technologies for scientific deep-space missions. SMART-1 is also a "first-ever" low-budget small mission for science at ESA and in this sense it explores and tests new ways of implementing cost-effective procurement and efficient management.
A key objective is to qualify solar electric propulsion (ion drive, but also the peculiar flight dynamics and orbit control concepts) as the primary means of propulsion in deep-space missions, tested in a transfer and gravity-assisted orbital trajectory to the moon. A mission goal is to spend six months in orbit around the moon, using a suite of instruments to study its composition. Science objectives are to address key questions about the moon: the origin of the Earth-Moon system and the role of accretionary processes, long-term volcanic and tectonic activity on Earth's naturalsatellite, the thermal and dynamic processes responsible for lunar evolution and the external processes on the moon's surface such as erosion, and ice deposition. SMART-1 demonstrates also a new approach in terms of implementation strategy (low-cost) and procurement for ESA.
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