Agency prepares the way to send people to Mars
NASA has selected the first scientific instruments to be used by astronauts on the lunar surface during the Artemis 3 mission.
Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) — a compact autonomous seismometric complex designed for continuous and long-term monitoring of the lunar seismic environment, in particular ground movement due to lunar earthquakes in the south polar region of the Moon. This instrument will characterize the regional structure of the lunar crust and mantle, providing valuable information for models of lunar formation and evolution. LEMS previously received four years of funding to develop lunar instruments and minimize risks from NASA. It is designed to operate on the lunar surface from three months to two years and can become a key station in the global lunar geophysical network. The LEMS leadership is led by Dr. Mehdi Benna from the University of Maryland (Baltimore).
Program «Lunar impact on agricultural flora» (LEAF) will study the effects of the lunar surface environment on plants. LEAF will be the first experiment to study photosynthesis, growth and stress responses of plants under cosmic radiation and partial gravity. Data on plant growth and development, as well as environmental parameters measured by LEAF, will help scientists understand the potential for using lunar-grown plants as a food source on the Moon and beyond. LEAF is led by Christine Escobar of Space Lab Technologies, LLC in Boulder, Colorado.
The Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA) will measure the ability of regolith to propagate an electric field — this is an important parameter when searching for lunar volatiles, especially ice. The instrument will collect important information about the structure of the Moon's interior, monitor dielectric changes caused by changes in the solar angle as the Moon rotates, and look for possible frost or ice deposits. LDA is led by Dr. Hideaki Miyamoto of the University of Tokyo and supported by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
«These scientific instruments represent our first opportunity since the „Apollo program” use the unique opportunities of the presence of astronauts on the Moon to conduct research», — said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for research at NASA in Washington.
Artemis III — the first mission in more than 50 years to return astronauts to the lunar surface. It will explore the moon's south polar region, within 6 degrees latitude of the south pole. Several potential landing sites are among the oldest parts of the Moon. Together with permanently shadowed areas, they provide an opportunity to learn the history of the Moon through previously unexplored locations.