As we get closer and closer to the launch of Artemis 1, the Artemis program teams think about the future.
In particular to the possible landing areas of the Artemis 3 mission, the one that will bring man back to the lunar surface.
Each of the 13 selected regions lies within six degrees of latitude of the lunar South Pole and contains different geological features.
The 13 regions considered by NASA for landing are:
Faustini Rim A
Peak Near Shackleton
Connecting Ridge
Connecting Ridge Extension
de Gerlache Rim 1
de Gerlache Rim 2
de Gerlache-Kocher Massif
Haworth
Malapert Massif
Leibnitz Beta Plateau
Nobile Rim 1
Nobile Rim 2
Amundsen Rim
To select regions, a team of scientists and engineers surveyed areas near the lunar South Pole using data recorded by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft and other lunar discoveries.
Other factors used in the choice were the availability during the launch window, the ability to provide a safe landing, evaluating the slope of the terrain, the ease of communicating with the Earth and the lighting conditions.
"Several of the proposed sites within the regions are located among some of the oldest parts of the Moon, and together with the permanently shadowed regions, provide the opportunity to learn about the history of the Moon through previously unstudied lunar materials" said Sarah Noble, head of lunar science for NASA's division of planetary sciences.
The analysis team evaluated other Artemis III-specific scientific objective landing criteria, including the objective of landing close enough to a consistently shadowed region to allow the crew to conduct a moonwalk while limiting disturbances during landing.
This will allow the crew to collect samples and conduct scientific analysis in an uncompromising area, providing important information on the depth, distribution and composition of the water ice that has been confirmed at the Moon's South Pole.
NASA will select sites within regions for Artemis III after identifying mission launch windows, which determine transfer trajectories, surface environmental conditions, and also landing capabilities in that area of Starship, the vehicle chosen as the Human Landing System (HLS) for the Artemis 3 mission.
The launch of the Artemis 3 mission is currently scheduled for no earlier than 2024.