NASA Outlines Plans For Sustained Presence On The Moon

KEY POINTS

NASA explained how it will maintain a sustained presence on the Moon
NASA listed the factors it needs to complete for its crewed lunar mission
A sustained presence on the Moon will kick off NASA’s mission to Mars

A new report by NASA revealed how the agency plans to maintain a sustained presence on the Moon. The report also explained how a lunar presence would help NASA’s exploration of Mars.

The latest report released by NASA discusses the initial steps of the agency’s new spaceflight program known as Artemis. It focuses on the program’s first major mission, which is a crewed expedition to the Moon.

According to NASA, it intends to establish a sustained presence on the lunar surface through its 2024 Moon mission. As indicated in the report, the agency plans to accomplish this by completing certain factors during its mission.

One of these factors involves the use of a lunar terrain vehicle that can transport crew members and cargo from the lunar landing zone. NASA is also looking to establish a habitable mobility platform, a moving facility where crew members can live in as they take trips across the Moon.

Aside from the platform, the agency also plans to set up an artificial surface habitat that could support as many as four people for a couple of days on the Moon.

NASA also plans to develop next-generation robotic systems that could be used to assist astronauts on the Moon. These robots will be used on a variety of tasks such as transporting cargo and carrying out experiments on the lunar surface.

The technologies that NASA will develop for a sustained presence on the Moon will help pave the way for a human mission to Mars. Aside from the facilities that will be used on the Moon, NASA and its partners will also develop a new space station known as Gateway, which will serve as a jumping point to Mars and other deep-space destinations.

“The Artemis program will use the Moon as a testbed for crewed exploration farther into the solar system, beginning with Mars,” NASA explained in a statement. “This is America’s Moon to Mars space exploration approach. A proposed multi-month split-crew operation at the Gateway and on the lunar surface would test the agency’s concept for a human mission to the Red Planet.”