NASA picks three science payloads to scout its first moon base site

The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station, South Pole, called LEMS-SP, is led by Dr. Mehdi Benna of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and will track micrometeoroid impacts and gases drifting into the Moon's thin outer atmosphere, NASA said. The instrument is designed to work as a lasting watch post for risks facing a future outpost, according to The News International.Nnasa.gov+1 2 sources for this line, starting with NASA

The Geophysical Investigation for Mapping Lunar Interior, or GIMLI, led by Dr. Nathaniel Putzig of the Planetary Science Institute, will be deployed at the Marius Hills Pit to look for lava tubes underground, NASA said. Confirming such voids could reshape habitat plans, since empty tubes could offer astronauts shelter from extreme temperatures and radiation, The News International reported.Nnasa.gov+1 2 sources for this line, starting with NASA

The Depth Imager with Spectral and Color Optics, or DISCO, led by Dr. Ariel Deutsch of NASA's Ames Research Center, will take direct readings of ice inside micro-cold traps, extremely cold spots on the lunar surface, and study how the ground's strength could affect future missions, according to NASA and the Economic Times.Nnasa.gov+1 2 sources for this line, starting with NASA

NASA picked the lunar South Pole for Moon Base because of its unusual terrain and lighting, where the Sun stays low on the horizon and some craters hold permanent shadow that sunlight may never reach, the agency said. Site planners will have to account for patterns of sunlight and shadow when positioning power systems and habitats, according to NASA.Nnasa.gov 1 source for this line, starting with NASA

The payloads were chosen through NASA's Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program and will reach the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which delivers science and technology payloads using commercial companies, NASA said.Nnasa.gov+1 2 sources for this line, starting with NASA

Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, said the selections are meant to build what she called "the ultimate interplanetary survival guide" for astronauts ahead of future stays on the Moon. Fox said the work would help minimize risk to crews while preparing for the first astronauts to Mars.Nnasa.gov+1 2 sources for this line, starting with NASA

The selections follow NASA's Artemis II mission in April, the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years, which validated systems needed for future deep space travel, NASA said. Research aboard the International Space Station, including a compact exercise device for astronauts, continues to support preparations for long stays on the Moon and eventually Mars, according to NASA.Nnasa.gov 1 source for this line, starting with NASA

NASA has also been soliciting outside proposals for Moon Base technology, covering areas such as solar power, oxygen production from lunar soil and in-space manufacturing, as it builds the base through a phased approach of robotic missions and technology tests, the agency said.Nnasa.gov+1 2 sources for this line, starting with NASA