Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: NASA

An Artemis III Moon landing site study group is trying to select where U.S. astronauts will “re-boot” our celestial next door neighbor.

If NASA planning remains on the rails politically, technically and dollar-wise, the United States is slated to plant new footprints on the Moon toward the end of 2025.

A spectacular, specially produced near-ground level oblique view of the “Connecting Ridge” between Shackleton and Henson craters. The lunar south pole (SP) occurs on the rim of Shackleton crater. The ridge along the rim of the South Pole-Aitken impact basin is a potential Artemis landing site (001) and another (004) occurs on the rim of Shackleton crater. (Image credit: ETHZ\LPI\Valentin T. Bickel and David A. Kring)

Safe and science-worthy

Following Artemis test landings, the Artemis III trek is intended to be the first of many human missions to the Artemis Polar Exploration Zone – the region poleward of 84° South latitude.

Selecting a safe and science-worthy landing region for Artemis III is a challenging task.

There’s no doubt that great discoveries lie ahead…and one potential surprise could be detecting life on the moon.

Go to my new Space.com story – “Will Artemis astronauts look for life on the moon? – Some hardy microbes might be able to survive on Earth’s nearest neighbor — likely after making the trek there with us” – at:

https://www.space.com/artemis-astronauts-search-life-on-moon