NASA’s Artemis program continues to make strides towards a sustainable human presence on the moon with the selection of the first three science experiments to be deployed by astronauts on the lunar surface during the upcoming Artemis 3 mission in 2026.
Among these experiments is LEAF, a project aimed at studying how space crops perform in the lunar environment. LEAF will observe plant photosynthesis, growth, and stress responses in the unique conditions of space radiation and partial gravity. This research will provide valuable insights into the potential use of plants grown on the moon for human nutrition and life support, both on the lunar surface and in future deep-space missions.
The other two experiments selected for deployment are the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) and the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA). LEMS will focus on monitoring moonquakes for up to two years, contributing important data to our understanding of lunar formation and evolution. Meanwhile, LDA will assess the ability of lunar regolith to propagate an electric field and gather information about the moon’s subsurface structure.
These instruments will be strategically deployed near the moon’s south pole, a region known for its abundance of water ice that could potentially support future crewed outposts. While the final manifesting decisions for the Artemis 3 mission have yet to be finalized by NASA officials, the mission is groundbreaking in more ways than one.
Artemis 3 will mark the first crewed mission to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972 and will also see the first woman and person of color set foot on the moon. Preceding Artemis 3, Artemis 2 will send four astronauts around the moon and back to Earth in late 2025, with Artemis 1 already successfully completing an uncrewed mission to lunar orbit and back in November 2022. These milestones are a testament to NASA’s commitment to exploring and understanding our celestial neighbor like never before.
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