The Open University
UK university covered here for developing and providing ProSPA, the sample-analysis instrument within ESA's PROSPECT lunar sampling and analysis package. The university describes itself as developing ProSPA; a 2024 peer-reviewed paper identifies it as the instrument provider and key subcontractor within a consortium led by Leonardo S.p.A. ProSPA is designed to analyse lunar volatiles and demonstrate hydrogen reduction of a sample to produce water or oxygen. This describes an instrument capability, not a completed lunar operation.
An organization's level is recorded separately and is not a ranking of its linked missions' results. How the ladder works.
Facts
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Type
- Research institution
- Status
- UnknownStatus date not recorded. The institutional staff profile and the 2024 PROSPECT paper establish the ProSPA development/provider role. This batch does not establish a separately dated current institutional or contract status; unknown means not established here, not inactive. Mission phase and schedule remain on the PROSPECT record.
- Roles
- Prospecting, Processing / ISRU
- Targets
- Moon
- Also known as
- Open University
Missions
1 records| Mission | Role | Launch or landing | Phase | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROSPECT (Package for Resource Observation, in-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Characterisation & Testing)Payload | Payload builder | Planned 2027 (target) | Manifested | Not applicable |
Open evidence gaps
- Current institutional/contract status and the university's wider space-resources activity were not established by this scoped review; no founding year is recorded.
- The university develops ProSPA within Leonardo's PROSPECT consortium. Leading the instrument's development and serving as package subcontractor are compatible roles; neither establishes hardware ownership or sole construction.
- No completed lunar operation or resource-production result is established. The PROSPECT record carries the mission phase, carrier and planned dates.
- The 2018 conference abstract was omitted because peer-review classification was not established; the institutional profile and 2024 paper independently support the included role.
Sources
6 excerpts from 2 publicationsOne web address counts as one publication.
The OU is leading the development of ProSPA, a miniature chemical laboratory for analysing samples for water and ice at the Moon.
PROSPECT is led by Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy) under a programme of and funded by ESA.
- [3]PROSPECT: A comprehensive sample acquisition and analysis package for lunar science and exploration
The ProSPA instrument is provided by key subcontractor The Open University (United Kingdom)
- [4]PROSPECT: A comprehensive sample acquisition and analysis package for lunar science and exploration
The industrial consortium is led by Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy)
- [5]PROSPECT: A comprehensive sample acquisition and analysis package for lunar science and exploration
School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
- [6]PROSPECT: A comprehensive sample acquisition and analysis package for lunar science and exploration
ProSPA is also capable to demonstrate the thermal-chemical reduction of a sample with hydrogen to produce water/oxygen as a first in-situ small-scale proof of concept for ISRU processes.
Cite this record
SpaceMiningData, “The Open University”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/organizations/open-university.html. Record checked 2026-10-31.