Exploring the moon's south pole: NASA's Artemis III landing sites announced

As NASA readies itself for its first crewed Moon landing in over 50 years, the agency has unveiled an updated list of nine potential landing regions near the lunar South Pole for the Artemis III mission.

These sites will undergo further scientific and engineering assessments, and NASA plans to explore additional areas for future missions beyond these nine.

“Artemis will bring humanity back to the Moon and venture into unexplored territories. Our selection of these regions highlights our commitment to ensuring safe landings for crews near the lunar South Pole, where they will contribute to new scientific discoveries and learn to thrive on the lunar surface,” explained Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program Office.

The Cross Agency Site Selection Analysis team at NASA collaborated with scientific and industry experts to assess and refine these potential landing sites based on their scientific value and mission feasibility.

Photo: NASA

The identified Artemis III lunar landing regions, listed without priority, are:

• Peak near Cabeus B
• Haworth
• Malapert Massif
• Mons Mouton Plateau
• Mons Mouton
• Nobile Rim 1
• Nobile Rim 2
• de Gerlache Rim 2
• Slater Plain

These areas feature a variety of geological characteristics, providing flexibility for mission planning. The lunar South Pole has yet to be explored by crewed missions and contains permanently shadowed regions that could harbor essential resources, including water.

“The Moon’s South Pole presents an entirely different environment compared to the Apollo landing sites,” noted Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead at NASA Headquarters. “It provides access to some of the Moon’s oldest terrains, along with cold, shadowy areas that may hold water and other compounds. Any of these landing sites will allow us to conduct remarkable scientific research and make new discoveries.”

In selecting these regions, a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers utilized data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and extensive lunar research. The selection criteria included scientific potential, launch window availability, terrain suitability, communication capabilities with Earth, and lighting conditions. The team also assessed the trajectory capabilities of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), Orion spacecraft, and Starship HLS (Human Landing System) to ensure safe landing options.

The geology team for Artemis III evaluated the potential of these landing regions for scientific exploration. Each of the nine identified sites could offer significant new insights into the understanding of rocky planets, lunar resources, and the solar system's history.

“Artemis III marks the first time astronauts will land in the Moon's south polar region. They will use a new lander to explore terrain unlike that of the Apollo missions,” stated Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist. “The process of selecting suitable locations for this historic landing involves ensuring safety first, then identifying scientific opportunities in this new part of the Moon.”

NASA's site assessment team will actively involve the lunar science community through conferences and workshops to gather data, create geological maps, and evaluate the regional geology of the selected landing sites. The team will also continue to survey the entire lunar South Pole region for future scientific value and mission potential for subsequent Artemis missions, including expanded science opportunities for Artemis IV and suitability for the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) in Artemis V.

The agency plans to finalize specific landing sites for Artemis III after determining the mission’s target launch dates, which will influence transfer trajectories and surface conditions.

Under the Artemis program, NASA aims to lay the groundwork for long-term scientific exploration of the Moon, with goals including landing the first woman, the first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, ultimately preparing for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.