As NASA prepares for a series of ambitious lunar missions under the Artemis program, the agency has conducted a comprehensive study to identify and address the challenges associated with landing and operating on the Moon’s surface. The “Lunar Landing and Operations Policy Analysis” report, released in 2022, examines the technical and policy considerations that NASA must take into account when selecting landing sites and implementing protective measures to safeguard its operations and U.S. interests.
Setting the Scene
The Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, paving the way for future missions to Mars. This campaign involves a range of exploration and science missions, including crewed operations to lunar orbit and the lunar surface, as well as uncrewed robotic operations. The program’s architecture encompasses various elements, such as the Gateway, Human Landing System (HLS), Orion, Space Launch System (SLS), Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), and a lunar base.
However, the lunar environment presents several technical constraints that shape the possibilities for mission planners. These constraints include the availability of sunlight for power and thermal control, terrain features that impact safe landings and surface travel, and the need for direct line-of-sight with Earth for communications during early missions. These factors, combined with the scientific and technological objectives of the Artemis program, have led NASA to focus its near-term activities on a relatively small area near the lunar South Pole.
Challenges and Policy Tools
The report identifies seven major challenges to landing and operating at the lunar South Pole and provides policy recommendations to mitigate each challenge. These challenges include:
- Plume-surface interactions (PSIs) during landings that can damage assets
- Threats to and from surface operations
- Challenges to moving across the lunar surface
- The danger of radio-frequency interference
- Threats to areas with special characteristics
- The challenge of unexpected activities on the surface
- The need for human heritage protection
To address these challenges, the report proposes various policy tools, such as increasing the priority of obtaining PSI measurements, implementing safety zones, ensuring the protection of navigable pathways, relying on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for radio-frequency coordination, ensuring freedom of access to areas with special characteristics, incorporating multi-purpose hardware to identify unexpected activities, and continuing to implement the 2011 NASA recommendations for heritage protection.
Transparency, Coordination, and Implementation
The report emphasizes the importance of transparency, coordination, and implementation when deploying the proposed policy tools. Transparency involves building on the commitments made in the Artemis Accords by engaging with signatories to discuss policy tools for upcoming missions and developing a public relations strategy to explain the rationale behind these measures.
Coordination is crucial, especially when multiple actors are operating in proximity on the Moon. The report recommends working with the Department of State to ensure that partners in joint missions share NASA’s views on responding to challenges and developing mechanisms for consultation and coordination to deconflict surface operations.
Implementation involves incorporating the policy tools into mission planning. For missions under NASA’s operational control, the agency should communicate policy decisions to relevant directorates, offices, and programs, ensuring that they are understood and built into plans. For missions operated as a service, such as CLPS, NASA should work with contracting companies to ensure that the policy tools are incorporated into their mission plans.
Conclusion
The “Lunar Landing and Operations Policy Analysis” report provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the challenges associated with landing and operating on the Moon’s surface. By implementing the proposed policy tools and emphasizing transparency, coordination, and implementation, NASA can protect its operations and U.S. interests while fostering a sustainable and collaborative environment for lunar exploration.
As the Artemis program progresses and more knowledge is gained about the lunar environment and the effectiveness of the policy measures, NASA and its partners should engage in an ongoing, iterative process to refine and adapt these tools. This approach will ensure that the policy framework remains responsive to the evolving needs and challenges of lunar exploration, setting a precedent for future missions to Mars and beyond.
