VMMO

VMMO

Mission type	Exploration of the Moon
Operator	ESA
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	16U CubeSat
Start of mission
Launch date	NET 2028
Orbital parameters
Regime	Polar frozen orbit
European Exploration Envelope Programme (E3P)

The Lunar Volatile and Mineralogy Mapping Orbiter (VMMO) is a future uncrewed lunar orbiter in the form of a 16U CubeSat, under development by the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft will map the distribution of water ice and ilmenite (FeTiO₃) in the lunar South Pole region, as well as monitor the cis-lunar environment. It will carry a multi-wavelength lidar, a radiation monitor, and a GNSS receiver. VMMO is expected to launch in 2028. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

See also

• List of European Space Agency programmes and missions
• Other European deep space CubeSat missions:
  • HENON — launch in 2026, a space weather mission, ESA's first ever stand-alone deep space CubeSat
  • M-Argo — launch in 2027, a CubeSat mission to an asteroid
  • LUMIO — launch in 2027, a CubeSat mission to characterize the impacts of near-Earth meteoroids on the lunar far side

References

1. "VMMO". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
2. Kulu, Erik. "VMMO". Nanosats Database. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
3. Kruzelecky, Roman (2018). "VMMO Lunar Volatile and Mineralogy Mapping 12U Cubesat". 42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly. 42: B3.1–6. Bibcode:2018cosp...42E1854K.
4. "CubeSats for hunting secrets in lunar darkness". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
5. "IAC Archive — IAC-19/A3/2B/6". iafastro.directory. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
6. Gao, Yang (2019-08-29). "Building a moon base is a huge task – here are the tiny satellites that will pave the way". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-08-26.