Lunar exploration with cubesats: the challenges and the rewards

There is a growing interest in Lunar exploration fed by the perception that the Moon can be made accessible to low-cost missions in the next decade. The on-going projects to set a communications relay in Lunar orbit, the deep space Gateway proposal, as well as the spreading of commercial-of-the shelf (COTS) technology for small space platforms such as the cubesats contribute to this perception. Small, cubesat size satellites orbiting the Moon offer ample opportunities to study the Moon and enjoy an advantage point to monitor the Solar System and the large scale interaction between the Earth and the Solar wind. A review of teh current status on Lunar cubesat research will be presented, including the Earth ASAP proposal designed to monitor hydrated rock reservoirs in the Lunar poles and to study the interaction between the large Earth`s exosphere and the solar wind in preparation for future exoplanetary missions.