NASA plans lunar base camp near Moon's South Pole

NASA plans lunar base camp near Moon's South Pole

NASA has submitted plans for a lunar base camp near the Moon's South Pole to the National Space Council as part of its Artemis program to send humans back to the Moon as early as the middle of this decade.

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RESTRICTIONS: Broadcast: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Digital: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN NASA submitted its plans for a lunar base camp to the National Space Council in a 13-page report entitled "NASA's Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development" on April 2.

The plans are part of NASA's Artemis program to send humans back to the Moon as early as 2024.

NASA plans to build its Artemis Base Camp near the Moon's South Pole.

The base camp will provide a fixed outpost for exploration and in the long term would include a landing pad and infrastructure for power, radiation shielding, and waste disposal and storage.

Core elements for a sustained presence on the Moon would include a lunar terrain vehicle, for mobility around the base camp, a habitable mobility platform that would allow for longer excursions on the Moon for up to 45 days, and a fixed lunar foundation surface habitat that could house as many as four astronauts for shorter periods of time.

NASA's planned Gateway outpost in lunar orbit would serve as a command and control center for operations on the Moon's surface, a rendez-vous point for spacecraft traveling to and from Earth, as well as provide living quarters and space to conduct scientific research.

In an April 3 article on its website, NASA said it envisions sending four astronauts to the Gateway for a multi-month stay to simulate a trip to Mars.

Later, two crew members would travel to the lunar surface and explore with the habitable mobility platform.

The four astronauts would then be reunited aboard the Gateway for another multi-month stay to simulate the return trip to Earth.

NASA said: "These missions will be by far the longest duration human deep-space missions in history." RUNDOWN SHOWS: 1.

Depiction of Artemis Base Camp 2.

Lunar terrain vehicle 3.

Habitable mobility platform 4.

Lunar foundation surface habitat VOICEOVER (in English): "NASA plans to build its Artemis Base Camp near the Moon's South Pole.

The base camp will provide a fixed outpost for exploration and in the long term would include a landing pad and infrastructure for power, radiation shielding, and waste disposal and storage." "A lunar terrain vehicle, or LTV, will transport crew around base.

Like the Apollo program's Lunar Roving Vehicle, the LTV will be an unenclosed rover.

Astronauts driving it will wear spacesuits that have been specifically designed for the Artemis program." "For exploration beyond the lunar base camp, astronauts will use a habitable mobility platform, a larger pressurized rover with living space and amenities for trips across the Moon lasting up to 45 days." "The habitable mobility platform will be the primary residence for surface missions, but a lunar foundation surface habitat at the base camp will provide a more permanent habitat for as many as four crew members on shorter surface stays." SOURCES: NASA https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-outlines-lunar-surface-sustainability-concept https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/a_sustained_lunar_presence_nspc_report4220final.pdf *** For story suggestions please contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw For technical and editorial support, please contact: Asia: +61 2 93 73 1841 Europe: +44 20 7542 7599 Americas and Latam: +1 800 738 8377