As excitement mounts for NASA's first Artemis mission, the uncrewed Artemis I, the agency has revealed more about its plans for future crewed moon missions. The Artemis III mission will see humans set foot on the moon for the first time in 50 years, and NASA has put together a list of potential landing sites.
The locations were chosen due to their accessibility and geological interest. Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead for NASA, said that several of the proposed sites are located among some of the oldest parts of the Moon.
Water ice is a key lunar resource and the permanently shadowed regions are some of the places where it is most likely to be found. During a stay on the lunar surface, astronauts will do a moonwalk. They need to be close to some areas of the sun to get the power for the mission.
"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. It will be unlike any mission that has been done before as astronauts venture into dark areas previously unexplored by humans and lay the groundwork for future stays.
NASA will discuss the possibilities with scientists and engineers in a series of workshops and conferences to decide on the landing site. The agency will be working with the company to make sure the landing site is safe for the vehicle. The Artemis III launch is expected to take place in the year 2025.
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