For the first time in its history, NASA plans to traverse the dark side of the Moon.
The new missions to the moon will be delivery missions. Which will take place across several trips per year to aid in scientific research of our closest stellar neighbor. They will aim two of those payload suites for the far side of the Moon. These missions will take place near the Schrödinger basin, which NASA explains is an enormous impact crater near the lunar South Pole. One of these payloads will carry two seismometers as part of the preparation for the Artemis program. The program that will put astronauts back on the Moon and establish a research base on the lunar surface. While the second payload will deliver the Lunar Instrumentation for Thermal Exploration with Rapidity pneumatic drill. In addition to the Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder, used to investigate heat flows and electrical conductivity of the basin itself.
“These investigations demonstrate the power of CLPS to deliver big science in small packages, providing access to the lunar surface to address high priority science goals for the Moon,” said director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division Lori Glaze in a statement. “When scientists analyze these new data alongside lunar samples returned from Apollo and data from our many orbital missions, they will advance our knowledge of the lunar surface and interior, and increase our understanding of crucial phenomenon such as space weathering to inform future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.”
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