NASA has identified nine regions for astronauts to land on the Moon as part of the Artemis III mission, marking the first lunar landing in 50 years. Preparations for NASA's return to the Moon are accelerating with the Artemis III mission.
The selected landing sites are located near the Moon's south pole, where the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and various research data were utilized to determine areas such as Slater Basin, Nobile Rim 1 and 2, Mons Mouton, de Gerlache Rim 2, Mons Mouton Plateau, Malapert Massif, Haworth, and the peaks near Cabeus B.
These areas are scientifically valuable and have the potential to shed new light on the history of the solar system and rocky planets. The Moon's south pole contains permanently shadowed regions that may harbor resources like water, which have not been previously explored by astronauts.
Sarah Noble, NASA's lead for lunar science on the Artemis mission, noted, "The Moon's south pole is a completely different environment from where we landed during the Apollo missions." This region could provide access to some of the Moon's oldest terrains as well as cold, shadowy areas that might contain water and other compounds.
NASA plans to further examine these regions to determine elements such as the mission's spacecraft trajectory, orbital paths, and surface conditions, allowing flexibility in the timeline for Artemis III. The agency will also continue to search for suitable areas for additional missions like Artemis IV and V.
In recent weeks, NASA unveiled suits designed for astronauts participating in the Artemis Program's third phase, with luxury brand Prada creating the outfits. These suits are expected to withstand the coldest environments in shadowed areas for at least two hours, enabling astronauts to conduct spacewalks for approximately eight hours.
