The space agency, which plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface in late 2025, has revealed 13 landing sites at the Moon’s South Pole, where planetary scientists believe water, ice and other resources are nearby in dark, shadowy craters. The sites, shown on the map below, are largely located on the rims of craters or on the ridges above these craters. These locations are uncharted alien territory. “This is a new part of the moon,” Sarah Noble, the chief of lunar science for NASA’s Planetary Science Division, said at an Aug. 19 press conference. “This is a place we have never explored.” A major goal of NASA’s return to the Moon, a program called Artemis, is to establish a permanent presence on Earth’s physical satellite, an effort that could one day lead to a mission to Mars. SEE ALSO: Why landing a spaceship on the moon is still so difficult The light at the Moon’s South Pole is eerie. It is a place where the sun is just rising over the lunar hills. It’s a world often dominated by deep, evolving shadows and dim environments. But, crucially, each of the landing sites — each containing about 10 specific landing sites — will have close access to continuous sunlight for the six and a half days the astronauts explore the lunar surface. “Access to sunlight is critical for a long-term stay on the Moon because it provides an energy source and minimizes temperature fluctuations,” NASA said. The 13 proposed landing sites for NASA’s Artemis III mission. Each area is approximately 9.3 by 9.3 miles in size. Credit: NASA While at the South Pole for nearly a week in late 2025, NASA astronauts — including the first woman to walk on the moon — will collect samples to bring back to Earth and study how human bodies adapt to the moon’s lower gravity (on the surface of the Moon, gravity is only one-sixth that of Earth). Artemis mission planners hope to complete the landing site 18 months before launch, sometime in early 2024. (NASA’s first Artemis mission, an uncrewed trip around the moon, is scheduled to launch on August 29. ) The space agency released these locations. the advantages can be verified by the wider scientific community. Landing astronauts safely on the moon is difficult and extremely expensive. NASA wants to make its best, most informed decision. They want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up Mashable’s Top Stories Newsletter today. And while on the moon, they want to find ancient, frozen water. “Water is a necessity to advance human exploration because it could potentially be used for drinking, cooling equipment, breathing and making rocket fuel for missions farther into the solar system,” the space agency said.
