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NASA recently announced nine candidate landing regions for the Artemis III mission, which will be the first human mission to explore the lunar South Pole.
Criteria and challenges for selecting Artemis III landing sites
NASA’s Interagency Site Selection Analysis Team considered many factors when choosing potential landing sites, prioritizing field safety, lighting conditions, communication skillsand access to scientifically valuable regions. The extreme conditions of the lunar South Pole, with areas of permanent shadow as well as regions with prolonged sunlight, present both unique challenges and opportunities for exploration. These criteria were essential to ensure that each potential site would support both safe landing operations and high-impact scientific research.
NASA emphasized that the chosen regions provide “access to nearby permanently shadowed and resource-rich regions,” highlighting the potential for exploring water ice deposits that could support future missions. Sarah Noblehead of lunar science at NASA, explained: “The South Pole is extremely cold, that’s why it has these reservoirs of ice,” adding that these frozen resources could “reveal the history of our solar system.”
The nine candidate landing sites for Artemis III
The nine landing regions identified by NASA in the lunar South Pole area are:
- Amundsen rim
- Connection Crest
- by Gerlache Bord 1
- by Gerlache Jante 2
- Gerlache-Kocher massif
- Haworth
- Malapert massif
- Leibnitz Plateau
- Mons Mouton
Each of these regions was selected for its access to permanently shaded areas, which may contain preserved water ice and other essential resources. THE Amundsen rim And by Gerlache Rim The regions, for example, offer potential for studying ancient ice that could reveal information about the history of the Moon and its role in the formation of our solar system.
Integrating Mission Technology with Site Selection
The choice of landing sites also aligns with the technical capabilities of NASA satellites. Space Launch System (SLS), Orion spacecraftAnd The SpaceX spacecraft’s Human Landing System (HLS). Each site meets the operational parameters of these systems, ensuring safe and efficient transportation, landing and return for the Artemis III crew. NASA’s selection criteria considered factors such as terrain accessibility and sunlight exposure to meet the needs of these spacecraft and provide optimal conditions for astronaut activities and scientific exploration.
This mission is not only an important milestone for human exploration but also a precursor to future Artemis missions, such as Artemis Vwhich will delve deeper into the unique environment of the lunar South Pole. These missions should lay the foundations for NASA’s Lunar Gateway initiative, a station in lunar orbit that will support extensive exploration and research.
