NASA unveiled 13 regions near the moon's South Pole as potential landing sites for the Artemis III mission to return humans to lunar surface.
“Selecting these regions means we are one giant leap 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’s come before as astronauts venture into dark areas previously unexplored by humans and lay the groundwork for future long-term stays.”
The space agency said all the regions considered are scientifically significant because of 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.
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“Several of the proposed sites within the regions are located among some of the oldest parts of the Moon, and together with the permanently shadowed regions, provide the opportunity to learn about the history of the Moon through previously unstudied lunar materials,” said Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead for NASA’s Planetary Science Division.
Artemis III, expected to launch no earlier than late 2025, will return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The six Apollo missions that landed men on the moon did in areas much closer to the moon's equator to take advantage of abundant sunlight, which was used to help power the Lunar Excursion Modules and to avoid extreme temperature changes.
NASA has identified 13 regions near the moon's South Pole as potential landing sites for the Artemis III mission to return humans to the lunar surface.
Landing at the South Pole will allow the lunar lander to remain in the sunlight needed to power the vehicle while allowing the astronauts to visit nearby areas which are perpetually shaded from sunlight. This will allow crew to collect samples and conduct scientific analysis that could yield important information about the depth, distribution, and composition of water ice that was confirmed at the moon’s South Pole, NASA said.
