Investigating Reiner Gamma
- justin54534
- Jul 26
- 2 min read
December 2021, Lunar Outpost has been selected to deploy one of our exploration-class rovers to investigate the magnetic anomaly, Reiner Gamma, in an unexplored region of the Moon. Our team is excited to execute a second mission on the lunar surface.
Mission Overview
Launch: 2026
Rover Class: Exploration Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) – 20 kg
Science Team Lead: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU APL)
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Lander: Intuitive Machines Nova-C
Why This Matters
Investigating Reiner Gamma, a magnetic anomaly and lunar swirl, will provide humanity with a better understanding of how the Moon, the Earth, and the Solar System were formed. This magnetic anomaly has puzzled scientists for centuries. Now Lunar Outpost, along with JHU APL and NASA, will determine the cause of this anomaly and what implications it could have for the sustainability of settlements in space.
Lunar Outpost’s first mission to the lunar South Pole in 2025 is designed to test communication infrastructure ahead of the Artemis campaign. Viewed alongside this, the equatorial Lunar Vertex mission demonstrates the versatility of our rovers and the breadth of mission objectives they can accomplish. A commercial lunar rover platform securing a second mission is another landmark step that Lunar Outpost and its partners are undertaking to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon.
The Next Steps
Once the mission is complete, the data will need to be analyzed by our science partners (JHU APL and NASA) to determine the cause of the anomaly. This will lead to a deeper understanding of our Solar System and enable a sustainable presence on the Moon.
Learn more:
JHU APL: Lunar Vertex
Houston We Have a Podcast: Lunar Vertex
