NASA’s Artemis program aims to bring humans back to the Moon, with the goal of staying there forever in order to carry out additional science and exploration missions, including to Mars, the red planet. But how will the agency make it possible for astronauts to stay on the Moon for long-term science missions?
“After 20 years of continuously living in low Earth orbit, we are now ready for the next great challenge in space exploration: developing a sustained presence on and around the Moon,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
The new 13-page report presented to the National Space Council , an advisory group to US President Donald Trump chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, provides more details on his sustainable plans outlining some core components of the infrastructure that NASA plans to install in the lunar surface that summarizes the space agency’s vision to justify and achieve the 2024 moon landing.
Only six times have astronauts walked on the Moon; all trips made by NASA as part of its Apollo program.
Three key elements of Artemis base camp
- The VLT vehicle , which can transport crew around the site (would not have a closed cockpit, so astronauts would wear extravehicular activity spacesuits -EVA- while using this vehicle.
- A habitable mobility platform for long duration trips away from base (basically it would be a fully enclosed and pressurized larger rover, allowing longer trips from the spacecraft landing site up to 45 days).
- The foundational surface habitat , which will allow short stays (perhaps a week) for four crew members (the “fixed home” for the crew during their stays on the Moon).
“Mobility is an important part of Artemis base camp,” the report reads. “Robust mobility systems will be needed to explore and thrive on the moon. The same for Mars, making the habitable mobility platform particularly important as we will need a similar type of vehicle to explore the Red Planet.”
The base camp will be the long-term foothold for lunar exploration, probably located in Shackleton Crater at the south pole of our satellite . In addition, there will be the Gateway space station that would orbit the Moon as the main base of operations for those who are not engaged in active exploration of the surface. Gateway is designed to expand over time, with new crew rooms and additional space for work and experimentation. It is intended as a new route station for Martian exploration and beyond.
Long-term
This facility would also require infrastructure for power, waste disposal, and communications, as well as radiation shielding and a landing pad. The base could also be a good site to test new techniques for dealing with annoying moondust and long cold lunar nights, turning local materials into valuable resources such as water, and developing new energy and construction technologies.
” These missions will be by far the longest running deep human space missions in history . They will be the first operational tests of the readiness of our long duration deep space systems and split crew operations that are vital to our approach to the first human mission to Mars, “the report states.
