In October-October 2024, NASA will send astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. After establishing orbit with their Orion spacecraft, a team of two astronauts (“the first woman and the next man”) will land in the moon’s south polar region. Over the course of a week, these astronauts will explore and investigate one of the region’s many permanently shaded craters.
As the first crew lunar mission in fifty years, this mission and the ones that followed will be a strong range of science objectives. These objectives were placed in the report of the Artemis III Science Definition Team, which was made public earlier this month. This report is a summary of the science plan prepared at the behest of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Artemis III Mission.
The way to the moon
The process of determining these objectives resumed in September when the Science Definition Team (SDT) was assembled by NASA’s SMD’s Department of Planetary Science. The team was tasked with evaluating these objectives Artemis III A mission recommending NASA’s recommended science goals and research approaches, key surface science activities and required operational concepts.
Their assessments were based on four guiding community documents, including LAGAG’s U.S. Lunar Exploration Roadmap, Scientific References for Lunar Research (2007), L.A.G. Contains visions and journeys for science, and planetary science. In the decade (2013-2022).
The SDTA also took into account the recommendations made by the Planetary Science Decade Survey (2013 – 2022) as well as the white papers submitted by the scientific community. These papers recommended all sorts of lunar sciences and performed imaginary experiments, ranging from the investigation of dark matter and the effects of lunar gravity on mice to the return of radio astronomy and lunar ice samples.
In their final report, which was submitted on November 6 and made available to the public on December 4, the SDT identified seven key objectives, including seven science goals. These objectives include:
- Understanding the processes of the planets
- Understanding the character and origin of lunar polar instability
- Interpretation of the influence history of the Earth-Moon system
- Revealing the ancient solar and our astronomical atmospheric records
- Observing the atmosphere of the universe and spatial space from a unique location
- Conducting experimental science in the lunar atmosphere
- Research Risk Investigation and Reduction
The authors stated in the introduction section of their report:
“This experience was gathered by six Apollo missions from 1969-1972 – collectively, field geology, the establishment of experimental packages on the lunar surface, and samples brought to Earth for analysis – redefining our understanding of the solar system. In the 21st century, there has been a resurgence of international interest in the moon.
“These 21st century results show that the moon is not a barren and dormant world – it is a world with unparalleled opportunities for new scientific discoveries and rich opportunities for business activity.
Finding a break-through … has strengthened the Moon’s position as the foundation of planetary science, and increased the need for a comprehensive program of lunar research and use that will advance economic growth, promote international cooperation, and expand human knowledge. “
Sample-return
Based on these objectives, the authors of the report have issued 15 findings and corresponding recommendations Artemis III. In particular, the emphasis is on the “best sample-return program” that will allow lunar rocks to be brought back to Earth for analysis. Of these, the first recommendation states:
“Astronauts should take part in an Apollo-style course in geology and planetary science, including both field and classroom components, to optimize the geography of lunar sample storage sites. A dedicated team of scientists should serve in the Earth-based Artemis III Science Mission Center with real-time two-way audio and one-way video between the crew and the Science Mission Center. “
The findings of this leg are consistent with the 2020 annual meeting, where it was recommended that Artemis III The mission captures samples of lunar material that are more than the average mass of the Apollo astronauts brought back with them – at least 150 kg (330 pounds). Previous studies have concluded that samples from this set will be needed to support numerous analyzes and maximize scientific returns.
They also emphasize how having a “carefully cataloged list of specimens” on Earth leads to future scientific discoveries as technological advances and new analytical tools and techniques become available. The lunar rocks returned by Apollo astronauts certainly bear this. Decades later, the analysis of these specimens is still revealing things about the formation and evolution of the moon!
They also emphasize that the specimens obtained should be diverse in nature and “widely representative of the complex geology of the South Polar region.” Therefore, it is recommended that this Artemis III The astronauts will be trained and equipped to collect various surface and sub-surface samples. This is especially important as lunar ice deposits have been found to extend below the extend surface below the surface.
Next, they recommend that in-situ analysis and sample collection be carefully coordinated to maximize scientific returns. Essentially, this means that astronomers should prefer unstable-bearing specimens based on their removal, transport and curing that lead to damage to these elements. Consistently, they also emphasize the need for a lightweight, double-sealed vacuum container to transport home.
Already, NASA has launched an incentive competition by Hirox for solutions to this challenge – the NASA Moon Deep Freeze Challenge. NASA has also invested in 14 companies for solutions as part of its fifth competitive “tipping point” request. Clearly, NASA and its collaborators are placing significant emphasis on bringing back lunar ice samples.
In situ operations
The report also makes a number of recommendations for surface operations during the mission. This includes the establishment of long-running power and communications capabilities in the South Pole Itken Basin that will allow geographic and environmental surveillance once the astronauts return home prepared.
Next, they recommended that NASA establish high-bandwidth communication and real-time data transmission capabilities for the mission site. This will allow the support team of the Operations Center on Earth to observe and provide assistance to the astronauts as they perform extraterrestrial activity (EVA).
Concerns were also raised about the mass allocation available on the Human Lending System (HLS). In short, the authors of the report believe that the lander who landed the two astronauts between the real space capsule and the surface will not be able to take enough equipment or payload to achieve all the scientific objectives of the landing mission.
As such, the report’s authors recommend that NASA request the development of devices capable of addressing more than one form of analysis or investigation at a time. Alternatively, they recommend NASA pre-positioning scientific devices near the Artemis III landing site so that HLS does not have to carry everything down to the site.
“This may include passive caches of equipment / devices when accessed by crew upon arrival, and / or one or more vehicle landers or rovers for environmental monitoring,” he writes. Similar to what was received by Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Packages (ALSEP), the status of packages on multiple landing sites was also recommended to collect data on these sites and enable future missions.
Logistic concerns
Other important things are emphasized including crew mobility on the lunar surface. Therefore, the authors of the report recommend that NASA send a rover or other vehicle to the lunar surface before arrival Artemis III Astronauts. Reliable transmission of data from the surface is also paramount, they write, as is the need to establish integration mapping and time parameters.
During the preparation for Artemis III, The authors emphasize that all existing lunar data should be readily available to scientists and mission organizers. To this end, they recommend that sufficient funds be provided to maintain the Planetary Data System (PDS), a series of long-term digital archives and tools online that allows users access to all existing NASA missions and research data.
They also recommend getting serious spit and polish on our map of the South Polar region! This includes creating mosaic and topographical models that have the most current and highest quality data available – i.e. obtained through missions like this. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), This Selenological and Engineering Explorer (Celine), And Chandrayaan-1.
They also recommend that mapping be carried out in front of the candidate’s landing sites, and on the basis of what was done in preparation for the Apollo landings. This is especially important because they state, “[t]He said the scientific return of the Artemis III mission would be internally linked to the Artemis III landing site, “and the desired scientific results” should be an important consideration during the site selection process. “
Cooperation
Another major concern is the need for integration into the various directorates of which it is a part Artemis III The final construction of the Mission and Artemis base camp. These include NASA’s Human Exploration and rations Operations Mission Directorate (HOMD), Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), and all external scientific and business communities.
To ensure this, they recommend that the SMD. A permanent working group will be formed from Artemis scientists and this group will work together with representatives of STMD and HOMD. They also believe that LAGAG, the Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials (CAPTEM), and other program analysis groups should benefit from their expertise in dealing with multiple stakeholders and in synthesizing targets.
These objectives and recommendations ensure that there is a scientific return to this Artemis III The mission is maximum. In the long run, determining what the Artemis program should accomplish (and laying the foundation for achieving it all) is essential for the creation of a “sustainable lunar research program” by NASA.
Beyond Artemis III, The plan calls for permanent infrastructure to be built around the moon and in its orbit by 2030. These include Artemis Gateway (Aka. The Moon Gateway, Or only Gateway), An orbital dwelling that would allow regular access to the moon, and Artemis base camp – a facility that would enable long-term research missions to the surface. As SDT summarizes in their report:
“The Artemis III mission, the only mission to the lunar surface, is just the beginning. Artemis III will not address every objective of the Artemis Science Plan, and it will not address every open science question about the moon – but it will be a foundation for future exploration. “
You can read the full report and related material by clicking on any of the links below. If interested, you can check out the full Artemis III SDT Community Town Hall, courtesy of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) below:
Further reading:
