Why the Moon’s Icy South Pole is a Hot Target for NASA
Jan 21, 2025
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Brett Denevi, a planetary geologist and Artemis III geology team lead, and Michelle Munk, NASA’s chief architect for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, dive into the intriguing icy landscape of the Moon's South Pole. They discuss the potential of water ice for sustaining future lunar explorers and its role in fuel production. The conversation also covers innovative robotic landers and the challenges ahead for Artemis missions, including navigating extreme lunar conditions and utilizing renewable energy sources.
The Moon's South Pole features extreme temperature variations, allowing for the potential long-term preservation of vital water ice resources for future exploration.
NASA's Artemis program relies on robotic missions to test technologies and gather data essential for ensuring human safety in the harsh lunar environment.
Deep dives
Unique Lighting Conditions at the Moon's South Pole
The South Pole of the Moon experiences a stark contrast in lighting, with some regions basking in perpetual sunlight while others remain shrouded in permanent darkness. This phenomenon occurs because the Moon orbits almost straight up and down, resulting in areas, such as the depths of Shackleton Crater, possibly being dark for billions of years. The temperature variations in these shadowed areas can plummet below that of Pluto, potentially allowing for the long-term preservation of water ice. Understanding these extreme conditions is crucial for future lunar exploration and the possibility of utilizing this ice for human needs.
NASA's Artemis Program and Lunar Exploration
NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon, specifically targeting the South Pole, where astronauts will explore regions not previously examined. This mission represents the first time in over 50 years that humans will walk on the lunar surface, highlighting the significance of this geographical location. To prepare, robotic missions are being deployed to gather data and test technologies essential for human safety in extreme conditions. The Artemis 3 mission will focus on understanding the South Pole's geology and potentially uncovering vital resources like water ice.
Technological Innovations for Future Lunar Missions
Upcoming lunar missions, such as the IM2 robotic lander, are designed to test technologies that will facilitate human exploration of the Moon's South Pole. Innovations include advanced drills for extracting lunar soil and assessing ice deposits, as well as communication systems to operate effectively in the Moon's harsh environment. These testing efforts will help mitigate challenges posed by extreme temperatures, power generation in dim sunlight, and the abrasive lunar dust. The lessons learned from these robotic missions are critical for ensuring the success of future manned missions and establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon.
The Moon’s South Pole is a bizarre landscape. Mountain ridges glow in perpetual sunlight while deep craters freeze in billion-year-old shade. Yet hidden in the depths of those shadowed craters, under temperatures almost three times colder than the frostiest day in Antarctica, lurks something familiar–water ice. In the future, that ice could sustain human explorers or be broken apart into hydrogen and oxygen to refuel rockets. Join Brett Denevi, Artemis III geology team lead, to learn why NASA plans to land astronauts on the Moon’s South Pole later this decade. Then with Michelle Munk, NASA space technology chief architect, meet the robot Moon landers scouting ahead of Artemis which will drill beneath the regolith and test technologies designed to help future human explorers survive the Pole’s extreme conditions.
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