The space agency revealed a trio of scientific instruments for its Artemis 3 mission, the focus being plants, water, and moonquakes.
The Artemis 3 astronauts will be the first to walk on the surface of the Moon in more than 50 years, unlocking a new era of lunar exploration.
has revealed the first science instruments that its Artemis astronauts will pack to the Moon and deploy at the lunar south pole. The three tools were selected for the Artemis 3 mission, which is set to launch in September 2026, specifically because they require humans to install them. Artemis 3 will be the first time astronauts land on the Moon since the days of Apollo, and the chosen tools represent the technological advancement that’s been brewing over the past 52 years.
, is a “compact, autonomous seismometer suite designed to carry out continuous, long-term monitoring of the seismic environment.” In other words, it’s a gadget to sniff out moonquakes. By gathering data on ground motion, scientists hope to better understand the structure of the lunar crust and mantle, and how the Moon formed and evolved over time.
’s “first experiment to observe plant photosynthesis, growth, and systemic stress responses in space-radiation and partial gravity,” the space agency wrote. China did something similar back in 2019, when its miniature biosphere experiment sprouted a single cotton seed while on the lunar surface. Related article: A seed has sprouted on the Moon for the first time Finally, there’s the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer , which will measure the ability of the lunar regolith to propagate an electric field.
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