Scientists and mission planners are searching for the best site.
Where best to set up Artemis Base Camp? Researchers are homing in on sites that feature long-duration access to sunlight, direct-to-Earth communication and gentle slopes and also offer access to permanently shadowed regions that may contain water ice.
PSRs are areas near the north and south poles of the moon that never receive direct sunlight and thus are exceedingly cold, ranging from about minus 415 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 334 degrees Fahrenheit . They compiled observations indicating the presence of water and other"volatile" molecules from 10 remotely sensed datasets in 65 PSRs to estimate the locations and mass of water ice deposits. Their assessment provides a PSR volatile ranking, grade and tonnage estimate that makes it possible to prioritize areas in which to potentially mine water ice.and Japan's Kaguya — have acquired data characterizing the hydrogen, hydroxyl and water distribution near the lunar poles.
There's increasing need to collect more orbital data about the form and structure of PSRs, the horizontal and vertical distribution of volatiles and how accessible these resources are. It's also important to advance and develop technology that can withstand the harsh environments of PSRs. Such information is required before landed missions go to these hard-to-get-to locations, Brown said.
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