NASA Unveils Nine Potential Landing Regions for Artemis III Moon Mission

NASA has announced an update on the potential landing regions for the upcoming Artemis III mission, which aims to be the first crewed Moon landing in over fifty years. The mission is set to target the lunar South Pole, with nine refined regions identified as candidates for the historic landing. The launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than September 2026, with a crew of four astronauts.

The areas are currently under further scientific and engineering scrutiny as NASA seeks to ensure optimal conditions for the mission, scheduled to be the first to put a woman, a person of color, and an international astronaut on the Moon.

The updated candidate landing regions, listed without priority, include:

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

*The nine candidate landing regions for NASA’s Artemis III mission, provided by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credits: NASA*

Each of these regions presents diverse geological characteristics and the potential to unlock significant scientific discoveries. NASA’s focus on the lunar South Pole is the first step of the agency’s broader goals of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon, which will serve as a proving ground for future human missions to Mars.

The South Pole is a particularly intriguing target due to its uncharted, rugged environment, which includes permanently shadowed regions thought to harbor water ice and other valuable resources. “The Moon’s South Pole is a completely different environment than where we landed during the Apollo missions,” said Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead at NASA Headquarters. She emphasized that this region offers access to some of the oldest lunar terrains and cold, shadowed areas that could provide crucial scientific insights.

A methodical approach for selection

NASA’s Cross Agency Site Selection Analysis team has worked closely with scientists and industry partners to refine the list of candidate regions. Factors such as scientific potential, terrain suitability, lighting conditions, communication capabilities, and launch window availability were all considered in the selection process.

The team also took into account the combined trajectory capabilities of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft (currently under review due an anomaly with its heat shield), and the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to ensure that the identified sites are both safe and accessible.

*Integrated tests of the AxEMU spacesuits inside SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) Elevator Demo. Credits: SpaceX*

The agency’s multidisciplinary analysis leveraged data collected from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, as well as decades of lunar science research, to evaluate the regions comprehensively.

According to Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program Office, “Artemis will return humanity to the Moon and visit unexplored areas. NASA’s selection of these regions shows our commitment to landing crew safely near the lunar South Pole, where they will help uncover new scientific discoveries and learn to live on the lunar surface.”

Scientific promise and challenges

Each of the nine potential landing regions offers unique opportunities. Sites within these regions are expected to enhance our understanding of rocky planets, the Moon’s resources, and the history of the solar system.

“Artemis III will be the first time that astronauts will land in the south polar region of the Moon,” noted Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist. “They will be flying on a new lander into a terrain that is unique from our past Apollo experience.” The mission will also allow scientists to study new terrain types and better understand the Moon’s geological history.

However, selecting a landing site is not just about scientific promise; it is also about ensuring astronaut safety. The identified regions offer flexibility in mission planning, but the challenging terrain and permanently shadowed areas also present risks. NASA says that finding locations that balance safe landing conditions with scientific potential is a key priority.

Planning beyond Artemis III

The Artemis III Mission is just one step in NASA’s larger Artemis campaign, which seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon. The agency is already planning for future missions, including Artemis IV and V, which will expand science opportunities and involve new exploration technologies, such as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). The site assessment team will continue to engage the lunar science community through workshops and conferences to develop geologic maps and evaluate the regions further.

An artist's concept of an Artemis astronaut deploying experiments on the lunar surface. Credits: NASA — *An artist’s concept of an Artemis astronaut deploying experiments on the lunar surface. Credits: NASA*

The final selection of a landing site for Artemis III will depend on the mission’s target launch date, as this will influence transfer trajectories and surface conditions. NASA’s ongoing surveys aim to provide not only immediate benefits for the upcoming mission but also lay the groundwork for future lunar exploration efforts.