The POT delivered this Friday, August 19, the regions of the Moon that are candidates for the Artemis III missionwhich aims to bring humans back to the natural satellite of the Earth and especially to the first woman.
The agency has identified 13 candidate landing regions near the lunar South Pole. Each region contains multiple potential landing sites for Artemis III.
“Selecting these regions means we are a big step closer to returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo,” said Mark Kirasich, deputy associate administrator for the Artemis Campaign Development Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “When we do, it will be unlike any mission that has come before, as astronauts venture into dark areas previously unexplored by humans and lay the groundwork for future long-term stays.”
NASA identified the following candidate regions for an Artemis III lunar landing:
- Faustini A edge
- Peak near Shackleton
- connection crest
- Connection ridge extension
- Gerlache edge 1
- Gerlache edge 2
- Gerlache-Kocher massif
- Malapert Massif
- Leibnitz beta plateau
- Nobile rim 1
- Noble 2 rim
- Amundsen’s edge
All regions considered are scientifically significant due to their proximity to the lunar South Pole, which is an area that contains permanently shadowed regions rich in resources and in terrain unexplored by humans.
“Several of the proposed sites within the regions are among some of the oldest parts of the Moon, and together with the permanently shadowed regions, they provide an opportunity to learn about the Moon’s history through previously unstudied lunar materials.” said Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead for NASA’s Planetary Science Division.
The team identified regions that can meet the goal of the moonwalk by ensuring proximity to permanently shadowed regions, and also took other lighting conditions into account. The 13 regions contain sites that provide continuous access to sunlight for a period of 6.5 days, the planned duration of the Artemis III surface mission. Access to sunlight is essential for a long-term stay on the Moon because it provides a source of energy and minimizes temperature variations.
“Developing a plan to explore the solar system means learning to use the resources that are available to us while preserving their scientific integrity,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist. “Lunar water ice is valuable from a scientific perspective and also as a resource, because from it we can extract oxygen and hydrogen for fuel and life support systems.”