Tech Briefs Magazine - November 2021 - 23

:
Return to the Surface
T
he third flight of SLS and Orion
will carry the first woman and
first person of color to the
Moon. Artemis III will be the culmination
of the rigorous testing
and more than two million miles accumulated
in space on NASA's deep space transportation
systems during Artemis I and II.
From lunar orbit, two astronauts will
take the first new ride to the surface of
the Moon, landing where no humans
have ever been: the lunar South Pole.
During Artemis III's week-long expedition,
the crew will characterize and document
the regional geology and collect
a variety of samples to return to Earth
for later research.
While on the surface, the crew will live
in the Human Landing System (HLS)
that they will use to get back to lunar
orbit when the surface expedition concludes.
NASA requires a minimum of
two moonwalks during the Artemis III
surface expedition. After completing
this expedition on the lunar surface, the
crew will launch from the surface to rendezvous
with Orion and their crewmates
in lunar orbit. With preserved samples
from the Moon, the crew will prepare
for the three-day trip back to Earth.
NASA is working with commercial
companies to design and develop the
HLS that will deliver the astronauts to
the Moon, with the long-term goals of
global lunar access and a reusable landing
system. NASA will develop increasingly
larger, more capable landers for
humans that can carry more cargo.
" Establishing a long-term human presence
on the Moon through recurring
services using lunar landers is a major
Artemis goal, " said Kathy Lueders,
NASA's Associate Administrator for
Human Exploration and Operations at
NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.
But First ...
Prior to the launch of Artemis III,
NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Ex -
ploration Rover (VIPER) will land near
the western edge of the Nobile Crater at
the Moon's South Pole in 2023 to map
and explore the region's surface and subsurface
for water and other resources.
After an extensive selection process, the
area was chosen as VIPER's landing site
due to its rover-accessible terrain and
array of nearby sites of scientific interest.
As NASA's first mobile robotic mission
to the Moon, VIPER will directly analyze
water ice on the surface and subsurface
of the Moon at varying depths and temperature
conditions within four main
soil environments. VIPER's findings will
inform future landing sites under the
Artemis program by helping to determine
locations where water and other
resources can be harvested to sustain
humans over extended stays.
Suited for Exploration
The next generation of moonwalkers
will need a whole new suite of spacesuits
and support systems to enable exploration
of the inhospitable environment
at the lunar South Pole. Artemis III
astronauts will wear the new Exploration
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU)
spacesuit as they explore the surface.
Bringing everything needed from
Earth for long-term exploration in space
would be too costly, so using resources
found on the Moon, like water, could be
a game-changer for human space exploration
to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Prior to Artemis astronauts landing on the Moon, the VIPER
mobile robot will roam around the Moon's south pole looking for
water ice. (NASA Ames/Daniel Rutter)
Tech Briefs, November 2021
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Tech Briefs Magazine - November 2021

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