The D-CIXS x-ray spectrometer on Esa's smart-1 mission to the moon

The D-CIXS (Demonstration of a Compact Imaging X-ray Spectrometer) instrument will provide high quality spectroscopic mapping of the Moon, the primary science target of the ESA SMART-1 mission. At the same time it will demonstrate a radically novel approach to building a type of instrument essential for the Mercury cornerstone mission. It consists of a high throughput spectrometer, which will perform spatially localised X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and a solar monitor to provide the calibration of the illumination necessary to produce a global map of absolute lunar elemental abundances. D-CIXS will provide the first global coverage of the lunar surface in X-rays, providing absolute measurements of Fe, Mg, Al and Si under normal solar conditions and several others during solar flare events. In combination with information to be obtained by the other instruments on SMART-1 and from previous missions, this information will enable a more detailed look at some of the fundamental questions that remain regarding the origin and evolution of the Moon and will help us to map Lunar resources more effectively.