We will participate in the LVICE2 mission studying space environment around the Moon

The LVICE² scientific satellite, manufactured entirely in the Czech Republic, will study the space environment around the Moon and at Lagrange's L4 point, from 2026. Mission with scientific instruments of NPI and IAP of the CAS, CTU in Prague and FMP CU will help in planning future missions in our Solar system.

There are number of unanswered questions remain regarding radiation, plasma physics, or the amount of dust particles in the space environment around the Moon which may affect the planning of future missions. The proposed Czech mission Lunar VIcinity Complex Environmental Explorer (LVICE²) should answer these questions.

The assembly of the entire satellite heading for the Moon with its own scientific instruments is unprecedented in the Czech Republic. LVICE² will also be the first Czech satellite controlling not only its orientation, but also its orbit. The project is funded by a contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) within the Czech Third Party Framework Project.

For this mission, Department of Radiation Dosimetry (DRD) NPI of the CAS together with FNSPE CTU will develop a device for measuring the radiation of charged particles: PARDAL2 (PArticle Radiation Detector At Lunar Orbit and Lagrange), whose predecessor Spacepix Radiation Monitor (SXRM) from FNSPE, mounted on VZLUSAT-2 satellite, already measures radiation in low Earth orbit.

More detailed information in Czech can be found on the LVICE² website and in the attached press release of esc Aerospace company, which is the main designer, developer and integrator of the LVICE² satellite.