We present the first results from SMART-1's science and technology payload. SMART-1 is Europe's first lunar mission and will provide some significant advances to many issues currently active in lunar science, such as our understanding of lunar origin and evolution. The mission also contributes a step in developing an international program of lunar exploration. The spacecraft was launched on 27 September 2003 on an Ariane 5, as an auxiliary passenger to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), performed a 14-month long cruise using the tiny thrust of electric propulsion alone, reached lunar capture in November 2004, and lunar science orbit in March 2005. SMART-1 carries seven hardware experiments (performing 10 investigations, including three remote sensing instruments, used during the cruise, the mission's nominal six months and one year extension in lunar science orbit). The remote sensing instruments will contribute to key planetary scientific questions related to theories Of lunar origin and evolution, the global and local crustal composition, the search for cold traps at the lunar poles and the mapping of potential lunar resources. (C) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

SMART-1 is a technology demonstration mission for deep space solar electrical propulsion and technologies for the future. SMART-1 is Europe's first lunar mission and will contribute to developing an international program of lunar exploration. The spacecraft was launched on 27th September 2003. as an auxiliary passenger to GTO on Ariane 5, to reach the Moon after a 15-montli cruise, with lunar capture on 15th November 2004, just a week before the International Lunar Conference in Udaipur. SMART-1 carries seven experiments, including three remote sensing instruments used during the mission's nominal six months and one year extension in lunar science orbit. These instruments will contribute to key planetary scientific questions, related to theories of lunar origin and evolution, the global and local crustal composition, the search for cold traps at the lunar poles and the mapping of potential lunar resources.

主要介绍了美国在20世纪70年代著名的"阿波罗(Apollo)"登月项目,和90年代的"克莱门汀号(Clementine)"、"月球探测(LunarProspector)",以及欧共体的"SMART-1"探月航天器。1969年至1972年间阿波罗项目前后进行了17次环绕登月的各种试验,其中有6次成功登月。它们分别是"阿波罗"11,12,14,15,16,17号。"阿波罗"和以后的探月项目向科学家提供了大量的月球数据,其中有影像资料,月面和环月试验的成果,同时还进行了样本收集、月面及其周围环境的地学勘测和月球大地测量等各项工作。