RSC are working closely with the University of Oxford’s Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) team, offering expert advice and surface treatment solutions for the NASA Luna Trailblazer project.
RSC have developed a fully bespoke solution that meets the customer’s requirements, with the application process being entirely unique to Ramp Surface Coatings. Using Surtec 650V and a combination of black and white AZ-93 & Nextel 811-21 coatings, the surface treatment meets the high level specialist requirements of Space travel.
Due for completion and launch in 2023, the Lunar Trailblazer is a satellite that will orbit the Moon and detect water on its surface. By doing so, NASA can map areas of water and determine how its formed, its location and abundance related to the Moons geology. The mission is to better understand lunar water its cycles, particularly in the permanently shadowed areas. This data is key to understanding delivery of further equipment to the Moon and future exploration.
Due to the success of the Trailblazer work between RSC and the University, their treatment work has also been expanded to the PLATiNO project, which is a brand new all-electric mini satellite. This platform will be a multi-purpose observation satellite, aimed to serve different high level mission scenarios. It’s adaptability and scalability will allow a wide range of Space tasks to be carried out from one vehicle, meaning PLATiNO will become a leading edge in satellite technology.
The collaboration between RSC and the University of Oxford has also drawn interest from further Space programs such as Astroscale, a sustainable satellite company based in Tokyo.
RSC has already proven itself to be an invaluable supplier to the Space industry, not only in surface treatments but also expert knowledge in the field of chemistry.
