Italy is planning to build a large telescope on the Moon to enhance our understanding of the Moon, Earth, and the universe.
This information was released by the Italian news agency ANSA yesterday. According to ANSA, Sergio Vetrella, head of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), stated that this telescope will be constructed by robots and will be located in a lunar crater, providing new remote images of Earth.
This telescope will also be capable of observing deeper into the universe compared to ground-based telescopes. “This project will provide new information about the Moon’s resources,” Vetrella added.
ASI has allocated 150 million euros for this project and will collaborate with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to facilitate the deployment of this telescope into space.
Vetrella noted, “These robots will be launched into space between 2010 and 2012. Over the next few decades, we will launch various components of this massive telescope, which will be completed within the next 15 years.”
“The goal of this program is to gain more insights into parts of the universe that cannot be seen from Earth, as well as to study our planet,” according to the ASI director.
