NASA has chosen three lunar science investigations that will be sent to the moon under the Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. These investigations will look at the temperature of the surface the heat flow and how radiation and the environment affect the lunar surface and the area around it. The Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services program is really important for these investigations. The lunar science investigations will help us learn more, about the moon.

These investigations are going to start no than 2028 with the CLPS deliveries. The investigations will give us the information we need to keep the astronauts safe. The investigations will also help us with the operations and teach us more about the Moon. We will learn about what’s inside the Moon and what the environment is, like. This will help us plan for staying on the Moon for a time and really exploring it.

These payloads go well with tools that are part of the Artemis program. This includes tools that astronauts will use and the Lunar Terrain Vehicle. The idea is to use both people and machines to learn more about the south pole and build things there. NASA wants to use a mix of astronauts and commercial robots to make this happen. The payloads are a part of this plan to build knowledge and infrastructure at the lunar south pole, with the Artemis program.

Background: Why new lunar instruments now?

NASAs Artemis program is trying to get humans to the Moon. They want to set up a base on the Moon and do some science too. The Moon is like a test area for NASA to see if they can really make it to Mars.

To make this happen in a way NASA needs to have good information, about the Moon. They need to know what is going on now and they need this information to be really accurate. NASA needs high quality measurements of:

The radiation environment at the surface and near-surface (important for astronaut health and electronics).

Thermal properties and heat flow of the regolith and shallow subsurface (key for understanding geology, volatile transport, and thermal management of habitats/equipment).

The stuff that is close to the surface like dust and plasma and electromagnetic effects can really hurt our gear, the systems in our suits and the instruments we use. This environment is very bad, for our equipment, the suit systems and the instruments.

The needs at the south pole are really important. This is because the lunar south pole has areas that’re always in the dark and big changes in temperature and light that is different from other places. These things make it hard to work there for a time and to use the resources that are available like getting water from ice. The new tools that have been chosen will help us learn more about how to work at the south pole and how to do science there before people start going there more often. The lunar south pole is a place and the new tools will help us get ready, for when people are there a lot.

NASA announced something. The three investigations that NASA is doing are what people are talking about. NASA is going to tell us about these investigations and what we can expect from them. The overview of the three investigations that NASA is working on is very interesting. NASA wants to share this information with everyone.

NASA made an announcement where they talked about the science investigations they have chosen to send to the Moon. They picked three investigations that will go to the surface as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services and the Artemis campaign. The main things these investigations will look at are the temperature of the Moon how heat moves on the Moon and the radiation that is near the surface of the Moon.

NASA is going to have some help from companies in the United States to get these investigations to the Moon. This means that NASA will pay these companies to carry the investigations to the surface. The Commercial Lunar Payload Services is a way for NASA to buy delivery services from companies that have landers.

These investigations will not be delivered to the Moon until, at 2028. NASA and the private companies they are working with are planning to make the deliveries after that. The Moon investigations will be a part of the work that NASA is doing with the Commercial Lunar Payload Services and the Artemis campaign.

When you look at the information from NASA you get the best and most accurate details about their projects and the exact words they use to describe what they are looking for. Other people who write about these projects on can then add more information, about what is actually happening and what experts have to say about it.

The three payloads — detailed look

Below I will tell you what each instrument is supposed to measure why it is important to measure that thing and I will give you some information about the institutions that are doing the work, on the instruments.

1) Heat-flow / Thermal Investigations

We want to see how much heat is coming out of the Moons interior and getting into the surface. Our goal is to measure this heat and figure out what the temperature is like in the regolith, which’s the loose rock and dirt on the Moons surface. We need to know the temperature profiles in the regolith to understand what is going on with the Moons interior and the heat that is leaving it. The Moons interior is what we are really interested, in so we will be measuring the heat leaving the Moons interior.

This is important because

The Moon has a lot to tell us about its temperature and how it has changed over time. Heat-flow measurements show scientists what is going on inside the Moon. This means they can see how heat moves through the crust and the mantle of the Moon. The Moons internal thermal state and its evolutionary history are what scientists are really interested in. They want to know how the Moon has changed over time and what has happened to the heat, inside it.

For people who like to explore the temperature beneath the surface and how well the ground conducts heat are really important. These things affect how long the equipment can work. They also affect the stability of ice in PSRs.. They affect the designs for keeping the temperature under control in the places where people live and in the rovers. The temperature beneath the surface and thermal conductivity are things to think about when it comes to equipment and ice, in PSRs and habitats and rovers.

To really get what is going on with thermal gradients we need to understand them. This is important for making sense of the data we get from sensing. It also helps us figure out where to look for deposits of things like water and other useful resources that we can use. Shallow thermal gradients are crucial in this process because they tell us a lot about what’s going on under the surface. By studying thermal gradients we can make better plans, for where to search for these volatile deposits.

Notes: Heat flow instruments usually have small parts that go into the ground to take the temperature at different depths. These instruments also have electronics that record. Send the data. The ground on the moon is rough and does not easily let heat pass through so the instruments have to be strong and light. They also have to work during the very hot and very cold days and nights on the moon. The things that NASA has chosen to use are special because they are made to work with these problems and they are good for doing science at the south pole of the moon. Heat flow instruments are important, for this kind of work.

2) Temperature / Surface Environment Monitors

My goal is to map the temperatures on the surface and below it. I want to see how these temperatures change throughout the day and in small environments. For example I am interested in temperatures, in spots that’re sunny and also in shadowy areas.

This is important because it has an effect, on things. Why the topic is important:

Surface temperature controls material fatigue, battery performance, electronics reliability, and human thermal loads.

At the poles the sun does not always shine. It depends on the land. We need to look at maps that show how hot or cold it is in areas. These maps will help us choose the places to build homes send rovers and get the things we need from the poles. The temperature maps are very important for the habitats the rovers and the resource extraction, at the poles.

These things help make sure that the models for heat and the ideas we get from looking at things, from away are correct which makes it easier to figure out what will happen over a long time when we are doing something. The thermal models and sensing inferences are really important and these things provide validation for them.

Notes: These payloads usually have lots of sensors like thermistors and radiometers. Sometimes they also have booms or masts to take readings from different places. They do not use a lot of power. Can work on their own for a long time. Months or even years. This depends on how power they have and how hot or cold it gets. The things we are looking at with these payloads are things that mission planners can use to make sure a site is safe and to figure out how to control the temperature. The main thing is to get measurements that’re really useful for mission planners so they can assess site safety and design thermal control strategies, for the payloads.

3) Radiation and Environmental Effects (radiation detectors / monitoring of dust/plasma)

Goal: Directly measure the radiation (ionizing particles, solar energetic particles, galactic cosmic rays), and quantify near-surface interactions such as plasma conditions and dust behavior.

This is important because

Radiation is a big problem for people who travel to deep space. The Moon does not have a magnetic field or a lot of air around it. So we need to measure how much radiation is present and how it changes. This information will help us figure out how much radiation astronauts can be exposed to. It will also help us decide how much shielding is needed to keep them safe and how long they can stay on the Moon. Radiation is a concern for deep-space human missions like the ones, to the Moon.

The lunar dust is a problem. It gets charged up. Sticks to things. This dust is also very rough on equipment. It can mess up a lot of important parts like the moving pieces, the cameras and the special coatings that help keep things cool. We need to know how the lunar dust moves around and how the air, around it behaves, especially when we are landing or when the spacecraft is doing something. This information will help the people who design the systems make them stronger and come up with ways to deal with the dust. The lunar dust is an issue because it can cause a lot of trouble.

Operational notes: The people who are working on this project have picked one investigation that is based on work they did before. This work also deals with some issues that people had a time ago during the Apollo project. So what is this investigation going to do? It is going to measure the particles that are moving around the area where the spaceship is going to land. It is also going to look at how the dust and plasma’re behaving around this area. The investigation will pay attention to what happens when the lander is sending out exhaust or when people are walking around. The information from the sensors will be used to make sure the astronauts are safe. This information will go into the models that are used to keep the astronauts safe and, into the procedures that the astronauts follow when they are working.

Who is building the spacecraft. How will the spacecraft get to the Moon

NASA has a way of doing things called the CLPS model. This model lets NASA work with companies that can land things on planets. These companies are, like Firefly, Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic.

NASA tells these companies what they need to deliver. They give them a list of things that scientists want to send.

Recently NASA has been doing things a little differently. They pick the science projects they want to do. Then they choose a company to help them get those projects to where they need to go.

This way NASA can focus on the science part. They can think about what they want to learn and how they want to learn it. The companies can take care of getting the science equipment to the place. They have the expertise to land things safely.

Some of the payloads are packages that can be used on their own on the lander or they are small rovers. The payloads like this do not need people to work. Other payloads need people to put them in the place. This is because people can put sensors in the spots.

The idea is to use robots to deliver some things and people to do things. This way we can save money by using robots for some jobs. We can also use people for the jobs that are hard for robots. The plan is to start delivering these payloads no than 2028. This is because we have to follow the schedule, for getting everything with CLPS.

How these payloads fit into the Artemis architecture

The Artemis crewed missions, like Artemis III and Artemis IV want to send humans to the moons surface and make it possible for humans to stay there for a long time. Some tools are picked to be set up by the astronauts because humans can put these tools in the place and do the hard work of setting them up. The Artemis crewed missions will have astronauts who can do this. Other tools will be put in place by machines that land, on the moon before the Artemis crewed missions arrive. They will be sent to the moon just to do science work on their own.

The Lunar Terrain Vehicle is a deal for NASA. They have picked some instruments to go on the Lunar Terrain Vehicle. The Lunar Terrain Vehicle is like a car that astronauts can drive on the moon for the Artemis mission. This Lunar Terrain Vehicle will let astronauts go to a lot places. The instruments that NASA chose for the Lunar Terrain Vehicle can take measurements in different spots, around the north and south poles. These instruments work well with what the Lunar Terrain Vehicle can do. They can measure heat and temperature in one place. Also move around to take measurements in other places.

The Commercial Lunar Payload Services, which is also known as CLPS helps us get things to the moon on a basis, from companies that work with us. These new projects are actually Commercial Lunar Payload Services payloads that will go to the moon on Commercial Lunar Payload Services landers. This way of working where NASA and companies team up is really important for the Artemis program to do more science without spending too much money.

What we will learn from science. The benefits of doing it.

Science is really cool because it helps us learn things and understand the world better.

The scientific payoff is what we will get from all the work that scientists do.

We will learn a lot of things and it will be really interesting to see what we discover.

The scientific payoff will be the knowledge that we gain from science.

The Moon has a lot of heat inside it. We can measure how much heat is coming out of the Moon. This helps us learn more about what the Moon’s made of and how it changed over time. The Moons internal heat budget is important because it helps us understand how the Moon was formed. We can use this information to compare the Moon to the Earth and other planets. The Moon is an interesting thing to study and it can teach us a lot, about the Earth and other bodies in space.

Volatile stability and ice distribution is very important. Thermal and subsurface data help us figure out if water ice and other things like hydroxyl-bearing minerals can stay in small environments. This information is necessary for planning how to use the resources that’re already on the planet, which is called In-Situ Resource Utilization or ISRU for short. For example we need to know if we can get water from the planet for people to drink or to make fuel for our spacecraft. Volatile stability and ice distribution is crucial, for this because we have to know where the water ice is and if it can be used for ISRU strategies like extracting water to support life or to make propellant.

Radiation exposure maps are really important. They show us how much radiation astronauts are exposed to. This information comes from measurements of dose rates. It even includes things, like particle events that happen suddenly. These measurements will help us make models of how much radiation astronauts are exposed to. This information will also tell us how shielding we need for habitats. It will even affect how we plan spacewalks and how long equipment will last. Radiation exposure maps will shape what we can. Cannot do on space missions, including spacewalks and the lifetime of our hardware.

Dust and plasma dynamics are really important. We need to understand how dust gets charged with electricity how it gets lifted up and how it rubs against things. This information will help us decide what materials to use how to design seals and electronics and how to clean and protect our suits, sensors and optical systems from dust and plasma. This is crucial, for dust and plasma dynamics.

When we are talking about site characterization for infrastructure we need to look at a things. We need to make temperature maps. We also need to think about radiation and how dust behaves. All of this information is really important for the mission planners. They use this data to choose good sites for things like habitats and power systems and the equipment that collects resources. The temperature maps and the information, about radiation and dust are all part of the data set that the mission planners need.

This makes things safer and more predictable for people who will live on the Moon or Mars for a time. It also helps with the technology that will be used for the Mars mission, which will be tested on the Moon first. The Mars mission technologies will be better because of this testing, on the Moon.

Engineering and operational challenges

Survivability in temperatures is a big deal. The polar environment is really cold in some places like the areas that never get sunlight.. Then there are other areas that get sunlight sometimes but not all the time. The instruments we use have to be able to handle the temperature changes. The fact that they do not always have a lot of power to work with. Survivability in thermal cycles like these is very important, for the instruments.

The thing about communication and getting data back is that these small machines like CLPS landers and small payloads need to use helpers like lunar communications networks and orbiters to send back lots of information. This is really important when they are, at the poles of the moon because they cannot always send information directly to Earth. CLPS landers and small payloads have to use these helpers to make sure we get all the data we need.

Dust and contamination are problems. The dirt on the moon also known as Lunar regolith is really rough. It sticks to things because of electricity, in the air. This means that the people who design instruments have to make sure that the parts that move the lenses and the electronic connectors are protected from the Lunar regolith. They have to keep the Lunar regolith from these things so that the instruments keep working properly.

Radiation hardened electronics are really important. These electronics have to be able to handle the amount of radiation they are exposed to over time. They also have to be able to deal with the damage that can be caused by energy particles. Radiation hardened electronics need to be strong enough to keep working even when they are hit by these particles. This is because radiation hardened electronics are used in places where they will be exposed to a lot of radiation like, in space. Radiation hardened electronics have to be able to withstand all of this radiation and still work correctly.

When we talk about deployment mechanics we have to think about how the instrumentsre going to be put into place. If astronauts are going to be deploying the instruments the instruments need to be designed so that they’re easy for people to use even when they are wearing big bulky suits. On the hand if robots are going to be deploying the instruments the design of the instruments has to be able to handle the fact that the robots might not be able to put them in exactly the right spot. This means that deployment mechanics, for instruments that are deployed by astronauts need to be easy to use for astronauts and deployment mechanics for instruments that are deployed by robots need to be able to deal with the accuracy of the robots.

We have seen these challenges before with Apollo and with some robotic missions, like Chang’e and Chandrayaan and VIPER.. Now we want to have people working on these missions for a long time. This means that every instrument has to work well and be very reliable. The instruments have to be good enough to support people working for a time.

Timeline and next steps

Selection is the step then comes development, followed by integration and finally launch. After the selection process the science teams work on finalizing their designs. They build the flight hardware. Get it ready to work with a commercial lander that they have chosen.

NASA and its partners make sure everything is okay, by doing some tests. These tests include checking how the hardware works in hot or cold temperatures how it handles being shaken around and how it deals with radiation.

CLPS scheduling is a bit tricky. This is because CLPS missions are like tasks that different companies work on. So the exact date when something will be delivered depends on when the lander’s available and ready. It also depends on how it fits in with the things that need to be done.

NASA has a timeline that they share with the public. According to this timeline they do not think anything will be delivered before 2028. This means that the people making the instruments will keep working on them and testing them for the rest of this decade. They will continue to develop CLPS instruments and do testing, on CLPS instruments through the latter half of this decade.

Operations on the Moon are really interesting. The Moon instruments will work by themselves. They will work with the astronauts on the Moon. This will happen when the astronauts put the instruments on the Moon. The information that the Moon instruments get will be sent back, to Earth. The scientists and the people who plan the missions will use this information from the Moon operations.

So I was thinking about how this selection fits in with the science that we have done in the past and the lunar science that is still going on.

This selection is really interesting because it complements the lunar science.

The past lunar science has taught us a lot about the moon. This selection adds to that.

It also complements the lunar science, which is still trying to learn more about the moon.

I think it is great that this selection is able to build on the lunar science and work with the ongoing lunar science to give us a better understanding of the moon.

This selection and the ongoing lunar science are a team they work well together to help us learn more, about the lunar science.

The lunar science that we have done in the past and the lunar science that is still going on are very important. This selection complements them in a big way.

It is nice to see the lunar science all coming together like this.

The selection and the lunar science are a pair.

Apollo had some gaps in what they did. The Apollo seismometers and heat-flow experiments gave us some information but those missions did not cover a lot of areas and they did not last very long. Now we have sensors and we can leave them there for a longer time. We also have instruments that are just for the poles. These things help fill in the gaps that Apollo left. Apollo is getting some help, from these things.

Robotic precursors like VIPER have some cool tools. For example VIPER has drills and spectrometers that are used to find things. Now we also have instruments that measure heat flow and radiation. These new instruments work well with the searches done by VIPER. They help us understand the environment, around the volatiles that VIPER is looking for.

International collaboration and commercial partnerships are really important. The CLPS and Artemis programs are working together. They are combining the expertise of NASA with teams, from universities and labs that make instruments. They are also working with companies that deliver things. This way of working is supposed to be easy to scale up and not too expensive. The latest selection follows the idea. The CLPS and Artemis programs are still combining NASA expertise, university and lab instrument teams and private delivery firms to get things done.

Broader implications (policy, science, industry)

Science return versus exploration utility is a thing for NASA. They have to balance learning about the Moons history, which’s what they call “pure science” with making sure the Moon is safe for people to be on which they call operational science. The things they are sending to the Moon show that they are really focused on using science to help people live on the Moon for a time. NASA is doing this so that the Moon can be a place where people can stay and work. That is what the science return versus exploration utility is all about, for NASA and the Moon.

The commercial ecosystem is really growing. CLPS is making people want to use delivery services. This is helping to develop landers and navigation systems and things that happen on the surface of the moon. When CLPS chooses a payload it is like they are saying that they believe in the companies that are working on the supply chain. CLPS is showing confidence in the lunar supply chain, with each payload selection.

The Moon is like a stone to Mars. We are testing things here that will be useful for a Mars mission. For example we are learning how to monitor radiation, control temperature and deal with dust. The Moon is a place to test these things because it is close to Earth. We can try out systems on the Moon before we send them on trips to other planets, like Mars. This way we can make sure they work well before we really need them to. The Moon is basically a test area where we can make sure everything is working correctly before we go to Mars.

Potential criticisms and open questions

Timing and cadence are things to think about. Some people who do not agree with NASA say that NASA needs to make deliveries and have more backups so that NASA can build strong infrastructure quickly. The schedules of landers and the amount of money NASA has to spend also affect the timing and cadence of NASA deliveries. This is something that NASA has to deal with when it comes to timing and cadence.

To really get the most out of science we need to make sure that data is easy to access. This means that scientists should share their data quickly.

International cooperation is also very important for science. When scientists from countries work together they can do more.

They need to be able to talk to each other and share their data in a way that makes sense to everyone.

This is why data standards are so important for science collaboration around the world.

Data accessibility and international cooperation are key, to making science

Data accessibility and international cooperation will help scientists work together and share their data.

Finding a balance between what robots and humans do is important. We have to decide which jobs are better for robots and which ones are better for astronauts. When humans do a job they can be very precise.. If we send robots ahead of time they can collect information before the astronauts get there. This helps the astronauts when they arrive. The balance between human tasks is something we are always thinking about.

For example robotic pre-deployments can gather data before the crewed arrival of astronauts. On the hand human deployment allows for precision. So we have to think about which instruments should be used by robots and which ones should be used by astronauts. The balance, between human tasks is crucial.

NASAs way of doing things tries to make these problems smaller by using different ways to deliver things and by choosing projects that are useful right now and also good for science in the long run. NASA is doing this to help NASAs projects be better. The people, at NASA want NASAs projects to give them information that they can use now and also learn from later.

To follow the story and read sources you can do a few things.

First you need to find the story you want to follow.

The story is what you are really interested in so you have to find it.

You can look for the story on the internet or in books.

When you find the story you can read the sources to learn more about the story.

Primary sources are very important for the story because they come from the time of the story.

You can read sources like letters or newspapers from the time of the story.

This will help you understand the story better.

You can also talk to people who know about the story and read sources to learn more.

The story and primary sources will give you a lot of information.

You will know a lot, about the story if you read sources and follow the story.

NASAs official announcement and news release give us the information, about what they are doing. This is where we find out what is really going on with the investigations and the program. NASAs official announcement and news release are what we should look at to understand the selection. They have all the details we need to know about the program context.

People can read about it on websites like Gadgets360 and Executive Gov. These places give you an idea of what is happening and what it means. They talk about when thingsre going to happen and what will happen because of it. The information, from Gadgets360 and Executive Gov is really helpful.

Some science websites like Phys.org and the things that JHU/APL puts out really get into the details of the science stuff and the specific jobs that different groups do. Specialist science outlets like these are good, for that.

Quick glossary (useful terms)

CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services): NASA’s procurement model to buy lunar delivery from private companies.

The Lunar Terrain Vehicle, which is also called the LTV is a vehicle that will be used for the Artemis mission. The Lunar Terrain Vehicle is a crewed rover that will take astronauts and instruments to places. The main job of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle is to transport the astronauts and the instruments they need. The Lunar Terrain Vehicle is a part of the Artemis mission.

Heat flow is really important. It is the rate at which heat escapes from the inside of a planet to the surface. We measure heat flow in milliwatts per meter, on planets and moons. This helps us understand how much heat is coming out of the interior and reaching the surface of planets and moons. Heat flow is a thing to look at when we are talking about planets and moons.

The Permanently Shadowed Region or PSR for short is a cool area near the lunar poles. These areas do not get sunlight at all. Because of this they can keep things like water ice from disappearing. The PSR is very good at preserving these things like water ice because it is so cold and dark. The lunar poles have a lot of Permanently Shadowed Regions or PSR. They are very interesting, to scientists who study the moon and the PSR.

ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization): Using local resources (e.g., lunar water) for human missions rather than hauling everything from Earth.

NASA is taking an sensible step with these new instrument selections. They are not just going for missions that get a lot of attention. NASA is working to fill in the gaps in our knowledge that will allow people to live on the Moon safely and for a time. The Moon is the focus. NASA is looking at temperature and heat flow and radiation and dust plasma on the Moon. This is important because it will help us understand what we need to do to stay on the Moon for periods of time and use the resources we find on the Moon. NASA is trying to learn more, about the Moon. How we can use it. The Moon is a part of this. By coupling science teams with commercial delivery, NASA is continuing its hybrid approach — combining the best of government science leadership, university/lab expertise, and commercial innovation — to turn the lunar south pole from an intriguing destination into a functioning outpost.