Ahead of its plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface, NASA's list of scientific investigations on the moon is growing.
The space agency is trumpeting a new priority, the exploration of the puzzling geological features called the Gruithuisen Domes, two mysterious mounds of granite-like rock.
The fact that this type of magma only forms on Earth in the presence of both water and volcanic activity is unusual.
One of the instruments that will be sent to the Moon will give an up- close look at the domes.
A suite of five instruments, two of which will be mounted to a stationary lander and the remaining three to a mobile rover, will be launched by NASA.
The explorer will have ten days to explore the chemical composition of the summit of one of the two domes.
The agency is hoping that the findings of lunar-VISE will help out future missions.
The moon's low gravity and radiation environment will be studied by the lunar explorer instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) science suite.
If everything goes according to plan, NASA hopes to launch both of these missions to the Moon by the year 2026.
NASA selects new instruments for priority Artemis science on the moon.
The first look at NASA's Artemis moon landing suits has just been given.
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