NASA's Preparation for Artemis III Mission to Land on the Moon
TapTechNews May 26th News, in order to set foot on the lunar surface again, NASA is making intensive preparations. The Artemis III mission, which is planned to be executed as early as September 2026, will achieve this feat, and then humans will walk on the moon again after a lapse of 50 years.
Field tests are crucial to verifying all the systems, hardware and techniques required for performing lunar operations in the Artemis mission. Barbara Janoiko of the Johnson Space Center said, Our engineering and scientific teams work closely to ensure that when astronauts return to the moon, we are ready for every step of the way.
In order to simulate the moonwalk, astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas wore simulated extravehicular activity suits and test equipment and conducted a one-week drill near Flagstaff, Arizona. The volcanic desert terrain in this area is very close to the lunar surface, so it was selected as the training site.
This test covers many aspects, including verifying whether the communication protocol with the mission control center is effective, testing the performance of the technological equipment used during the moonwalk, and conducting scientific activity drills such as geological sample collection.
One of the technologies used in the test is the augmented reality helmet, which can provide navigational information for astronauts to help them keep their bearings and re-find the lunar module in case of an emergency.
The test also simulates communication procedures so that astronauts and ground teams can collaborate remotely in order to obtain the most valuable geological samples and solve problems in real time.
Astronauts conducted four moonwalks and six technical demonstrations during the one-week test. According to a NASA press release, these activities are the fifth in a series of on-site tests and the most similar simulation exercise to the Artemis lunar landing mission so far.
According to TapTechNews, the goal of the Artemis III mission is to land on the south pole of the moon, a new area that humans have never set foot on, far different from the landing site of the Apollo missions from 1969 to 1972. Scientists speculate that there may be water ice in the permanently shadowed craters at the south pole of the moon, which will be a valuable resource in space, not only as drinking water, but also as a source of the main components (hydrogen and oxygen) required for making rocket fuel.
It is reported that future tests will be conducted in underwater simulation drills in the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas.