UA researchers helped make the first instruments picked for the Artemis III Mission to the moon

By Greg Hahne
Published: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 8:47am
Updated: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 8:48am

The moon
NASA
The moon as seen from the Apollo 11.

NASA has picked the first instruments to take to the moon in its first mission to bring astronauts to the surface in about 50 years.

University of Arizona researchers are playing a key role.

They worked on two of the instruments, the first is called the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station. UA researchers have worked on its seismometers to detect deep and shallow earthquakes on the moon.

Another researcher is collaborating on an instrument that’ll tell them what is a meter below the surface, especially as they look for ice.

In a press release, Erik Asphaug with the UA’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory said it will play a key role in establishing a permanent human presence on the moon.

The Artemis III Mission is scheduled to launch in 2026 and will install the tools on the moon’s south pole.

Science