Artemis III astronauts will not set foot on the Moon before September 2026, but NASA is continuing with the development of the mission and has chosen the first three scientific instruments that will be installed near the lunar South Pole.
Earthquakes, ice and plants are being studied
NASA explained that the three instruments will address as many objectives of the Artemis mission: the understanding of planetary processes, the understanding of the character and origin of lunar volatile products (i.e. substances that can easily pass into the gaseous state), and the investigation and the mitigation of exploration risks.
The first tool is the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS): A compact seismometer designed to perform long-term, continuous monitoring of ground motion due to lunar earthquakes. The LEMS was developed to operate on the surface for up to two years. LEMS is a project of the University of Maryland.
With the Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora (LEAF) instead, the effects of the lunar surface environment on crops will be studied. With this instrument, photosynthesis, growth and responses to systemic stresses of plants will be observed under radiation and partial gravity conditions. Through LEAF, scientists will understand the possible use of plants grown on the Moon for both human nutrition and life support. LEAF is a project of Space Lab Technologies, a Colorado company.
The Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA) will have the task of making scientists understand the capacity of the lunar regolith to propagate an electric field, which is a parameter for the search for volatile substances, including ice. The instrument will also look for any frost formation. LDA is an international project supported by the Japanese space agency JAXA.
While decisions on the more detailed mission plan will be communicated at a future date, the three instruments were developed to “fly with Artemis III.”
The Artemis III mission includes a crew of four astronauts that has not yet been selected. However, NASA has said that this mission will bring the first woman and first person of color to the lunar surface. The managers of the three scientific instruments chosen for the mission will also become members of the Artemis III science team.
NASA postpones Artemis III moon landing to 2026 for crew safety
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The crew will travel aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will be launched from Earth using the SLS (Space Launch System). However, the astronauts will not land on the Moon with Orion. Once in lunar orbit they will transfer to SpaceX’s Starship HLS spacecraft, a modified version of the Starship designed to land on the Moon.
The Starship HLS will have previously been placed in a particular orbit called Near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO). This type of orbit uses terrestrial and lunar gravity to keep the spacecraft close to the Moon with reduced propellant consumption.
Only two of the astronauts will board the Starship HLS, which will take them to the lunar surface, where they will conduct scientific experiments and take some walks.
