NASA reveals 13 candidate locations to land astronauts on the Moon during Artemis III

NASA, on Friday, August 19, announced that it has identified 13 locations on the Moon where astronauts would land during the Artemis III mission later this decade. Each of these locations contains multiple landing sites and all of them are near the lunar south pole. According to the agency, each region is approximately 9.3 by 9.3 miles (15 by 15 kilometers) and the landing sites within those regions have an approximate radius of 328 feet (100 meters).

The identified candidate regions for landing of astronauts 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

Why did NASA choose these locations?

(A rendering of 13 candidate landing regions for Artemis III; Image: NASA)

The reason for NASA's decision to choose these regions are their diverse geologic features and their flexibility for lunar launches. NASA says that these locations provide landing options for all potential Artemis III launch opportunities and since certain sites are tightly coupled to the timing of the launch window they offer flexibility to launch throughout the year. Gentle slope for landing and constant view of Earth for communications were also the major factors. 

The aforementioned areas were selected after assessment using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and decades of publications and lunar science findings. Interestingly, because all of these regions are near the lunar south pole, the astronauts would be able to scout the unexplored area that contains permanently shadowed regions (PSR) rich in resources.

"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", Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead said in an official statement. During Artemis III, the astronauts will conduct moonwalks in the PSRs to collect samples and conduct scientific analysis. They would also determine the depth, distribution, and composition of water ice confirmed in the Moon's South Pole. 

NASA also noted that all 13 regions are exposed to sunlight throughout a 6.5-day period, the duration planned for the Artemis III surface mission. As for now, the mission teams would select a site within these regions after settling on a date for the launch of Artemis III. Currently, the agency is working on Artemis I, which is targeted for liftoff on August 29 to test the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft and the ground systems.