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3.1. Artemis III candidates

Thesis Report V-SPARC VIT

Figure 3 : Artemis III sites (Source: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-identifies-
candidate-regions-for-landing-next-americans-on-moon/?utm_source= TWITTER&
utm_medium=NASAMoon&utm_campaign = NASA Social

As NASA gears up for its return to the Moon through the Artemis program, the agency has

pinpointed 13 potential landing areas near the lunar South Pole. These regions offer numerous

potential landing sites for Artemis III, slated to be the first mission in the Artemis series to land

astronauts on the Moon, including the first woman to step onto its surface.

"Identifying these regions marks a significant stride towards our goal of sending humans back
to the Moon, a feat not achieved since the Apollo era," stated Mark Kirasich, deputy associate

administrator for the Artemis Campaign Development Division at NASA Headquarters in
Washington. "This upcoming mission will be groundbreaking, as astronauts will explore

previously uncharted, shadowed areas and pave the way for sustained lunar habitation."

Key traits for selection:

Access to significant sunlight, which provides minimal temperature variations and potentially
the only power source; continuous line-of-sight to Earth for mission support communications;

mild grading and surface debris for safe landing and walking or roving mobility; and close
proximity to permanently shadowed regions, some of which are believed to contain resources

such as water ice.

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