Associate Professor Jasper Halekas recently received a grant award to investigate the environment in Reiner Gamma, a strongly magnetized region of the surface of the Moon.
NASA, via the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), awarded Halekas $160,433 for the investigation, “Lunar Vertex: Exploring the Intersection of Geoscience and Space Plasma Physics.” Halekas is the deputy principal investigator for the investigation.
The investigation will be carried out in 2024 on a commercial lander to the Moon to study the mysterious Reiner Gamma "swirl" marking that may be related to the presence of a magnetic field. Lunar Vertex will have a suite of instruments on the lander and on a small rover, investigating the magnetic field, surface characteristics, and incident plasma.
Credit: Johns Hopkins APL/Lunar Outpost/Ben Smith
See this article from JHU/APL for an overview of the mission: https://www.jhuapl.edu/NewsStory/211018b-lunar-vertex.
For more information on all of NASA’s selections for the Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-selects-new-science-investigations-for-future-moon-deliveries.
Banner Image: Reiner Gamma. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University