"Artemis will return humanity to the Moon and visit unexplored areas," said Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator of NASA's Moon to Mars Program Office. "NASA's selection of these regions shows our commitment to landing crew safely near the lunar South Pole, where they will help uncover new scientific discoveries and learn to live on the lunar surface."
NASA's Cross Agency Site Selection Analysis team, working in partnership with industry and science experts, analyzed and refined the selection of these landing regions. Each candidate site offers scientific and logistical advantages, essential for achieving mission goals.
The designated regions for Artemis III include:
- Peak near Cabeus B
- Haworth
- Malapert Massif
- Mons Mouton Plateau
- Mons Mouton
- Nobile Rim 1
- Nobile Rim 2
- de Gerlache Rim 2
- Slater Plain
These South Pole regions are geologically diverse, with some featuring permanently shadowed areas, potentially preserving water and other resources. The exploration of such regions marks a significant departure from the landing locations chosen during the Apollo missions.
"The Moon's South Pole is a completely different environment than where we landed during the Apollo missions," explained Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead at NASA Headquarters. "It offers access to some of the Moon's oldest terrain, as well as cold, shadowed regions that may contain water and other compounds. Any of these landing regions will enable us to do amazing science and make new discoveries."
The selection of these regions involved a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers, who analyzed data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter alongside other lunar science studies. Criteria for region selection included scientific potential, mission launch windows, terrain characteristics, Earth communication capabilities, and lighting conditions. NASA also evaluated how well each site could support the combined needs of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, Orion spacecraft, and the Starship HLS (Human Landing System) for a safe landing.
The Artemis III geology team has assessed the sites within each region for their scientific promise, highlighting their potential to deepen understanding of rocky planets, lunar resources, and the broader history of the solar system.
"Artemis III will be the first time that astronauts will land in the south polar region of the Moon," said Jacob Bleacher, NASA's chief exploration scientist. "They will be flying on a new lander into a terrain that is unique from our past Apollo experience. Finding the right locations for this historic moment begins with identifying safe places for this first landing, and then trying to match that with opportunities for science from this new place on the Moon."
NASA's site assessment team will continue collaborating with the lunar science community through various conferences and workshops to gather additional data, develop geologic maps, and further evaluate the lunar South Pole's suitability for future missions. These efforts include expanded science plans for Artemis IV and considerations for the LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) as part of Artemis V.
The specific sites within the chosen regions for Artemis III will be finalized once NASA confirms the mission's launch dates, which will influence the final trajectory and surface conditions at the landing locations.
Under the Artemis program, NASA is setting the stage for long-term lunar exploration, planning to land the first woman, first person of color, and an international partner astronaut on the Moon, ultimately paving the way for human missions to Mars.
Related Links
Artemis III
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
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