{"id":249563,"date":"2025-07-11T06:47:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T20:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=584748b2a4c52168b2cd421ce9be9758"},"modified":"2025-07-11T06:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T20:47:07","slug":"nasa-selects-instruments-for-artemis-lunar-terrain-vehicle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=249563","title":{"rendered":"NASA Selects Instruments for Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"In<\/a><\/figure>
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An artist\u2019s concept design of NASA\u2019s Lunar Terrain Vehicle.<\/div>\n
Credit: NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA has selected three instruments to travel to the Moon, with two planned for integration onto an LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) and one for a future orbital opportunity.<\/p>\n

The LTV is part of NASA\u2019s efforts to explore the lunar surface as part of the Artemis campaign and is the first crew-driven vehicle to operate on the Moon in more than 50 years. Designed to hold up to two astronauts, as well as operate remotely without a crew, this surface vehicle will enable NASA to achieve more of its science and exploration goals over a wide swath of lunar terrain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle will transport humanity farther than ever before across the lunar frontier on an epic journey of scientific exploration and discovery,\u201d said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cBy combining the best of human and robotic exploration, the science instruments selected for the LTV will make discoveries that inform us about Earth\u2019s nearest neighbor as well as benefit the health and safety of our astronauts and spacecraft on the Moon.”<\/p>\n

The Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer (AIRES) will identify, quantify, and map lunar minerals and volatiles, which are materials that evaporate easily, like water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide. The instrument will capture spectral data overlaid on visible light images of both specific features of interest and broad panoramas to discover the distribution of minerals and volatiles across the Moon\u2019s south polar region. The AIRES instrument team is led by Phil Christensen from Arizona State University in Tempe.<\/p>\n

The Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer (L-MAPS) will help define what is below the Moon\u2019s surface and search for possible locations of ice. Containing both a spectrometer and a ground-penetrating radar, the instrument suite will measure temperature, density, and subsurface structures to more than 131 feet (40 meters) below the surface. The L-MAPS instrument team is led by Matthew Siegler from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.<\/p>\n

When combined, the data from the two instruments will paint a picture of the components of the lunar surface and subsurface to support human exploration and will uncover clues to the history of rocky worlds in our solar system. The instruments also will help scientists characterize the Moon\u2019s resources, including what the Moon is made of, potential locations of ice, and how the Moon changes over time.<\/p>\n

In addition to the instruments selected for integration onto the LTV, NASA also selected the Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer for the Moon (UCIS-Moon) for a future orbital flight opportunity. The instrument will provide regional context to the discoveries made from the LTV. From above, UCIS-Moon will map the Moon\u2019s geology and volatiles and measure how human activity affects those volatiles. The spectrometer also will help identify scientifically valuable areas for astronauts to collect lunar samples, while its wide-view images provide the overall context for where these samples will be collected. The UCIS-Moon instrument will provide the Moon\u2019s highest spatial resolution data of surface lunar water, mineral makeup, and thermophysical properties. The UCIS-Moon instrument team is led by Abigail Fraeman from NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, these three scientific instruments will make significant progress in answering key questions about what minerals and volatiles are present on and under the surface of the Moon,\u201d said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. \u201cWith these instruments riding on the LTV and in orbit, we will be able to characterize the surface not only where astronauts explore, but also across the south polar region of the Moon, offering exciting opportunities for scientific discovery and exploration for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leading up to these instrument selections, NASA has worked with all three lunar terrain vehicle vendors<\/a> – Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab – to complete their preliminary design reviews. This review demonstrates that the initial design of each commercial lunar rover meets all of NASA\u2019s system requirements and shows that the correct design options have been selected, interfaces have been identified, and verification methods have been described. NASA will evaluate the task order proposals received from each LTV vendor and make a selection decision on the demonstration mission by the end of 2025. <\/p>\n

Through Artemis, NASA will address high priority science questions, focusing on those that are best accomplished by on-site human explorers on and around the Moon by using robotic surface and orbiting systems. The Artemis missions will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Artemis, visit:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/artemis<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

-end-<\/p>\n

Karen Fox \/ Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

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