NASA officials say the Artemis missions may be limited to gathering lunar samples, as the space agency plans locations on the Moon to explore, Space News reported Wednesday.
The Lunar Exploration and Analysis Group’s meeting on Tuesday featured official statements on landing plans for Artemis 3, a manned lunar mission scheduled for 2024. The future mission may explore certain landing sites within the Moon’s south polar region.
John Connolly, lunar surface systems lead at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, said the lunar south pole may contain amounts of water ice within shadowed craters. Illuminated portions, on the other hand, may offer opportunities in solar power, he noted. Artemis 3 would last for almost a week on the moon based on current plans.
