Through this series of short, focused workshops, we continue to solicit input from the community on the potential for new scientific research that could be enabled by human exploration near the lunar south pole. In addition, we want to identify and help to close knowledge gaps associated with crew activities and safety.
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Virtual Session 3: August 20, 2020
Lunar Dust and Regolith
The third virtual session of the Lunar Surface Science Workshop is scheduled for August 20, 2020. This session will focus on lunar dust and regolith and will be a mix of invited/contributed talks and discussion breakouts.
The August 20 program will be available soon.
Virtual Session 2: July 29–30, 2020
Lunar Volatiles and Samples
NCTS #42295-20
Downloadable Virtual Session 2 Program
Virtual Session 2 Presentation Recordings
Virtual Session 1: May 28–29, 2020
Overview and Tools and Instruments
Downloadable Virtual Session 1 Program
Virtual Session 1 Presentation Recordings
Use these links to access the program and abstracts and author index for the originally scheduled in-person workshop on April 28–30, 2020.
Original Workshop Concept
NASA was organizing a workshop to discuss new scientific research that could be enabled by human exploration near the lunar south pole.
NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate were co-sponsoring a three-day workshop to actively engage the scientific community in order to determine what science could be done by human crews on the lunar surface and how it can be achieved. This workshop was to be held April 28–30, 2020 at the Westin Denver International Airport. Attendance was open only to speakers, or their delegates, and selected invitees. Only one attendee per abstract was permitted. Portions of the workshop were to be streamed live for those who could not attend in person.
Revised Workshop Plan
Purpose and Scope
In accordance with the Space Policy Directive-1, NASA is planning a human return to the Moon’s surface by 2024 as a large next step in human exploration of the solar system. The NASA Artemis program is being conducted in two phases: Phase 1 will see the next human beings set foot on the lunar surface near the Moon's south pole, and Phase 2 will create a sustained human presence on the lunar surface by 2028. Community input and early integration of science into the exploration architecture are essential to maximizing the science return from the Artemis missions.
Initial strategies for science payload delivery include using the Artemis 2024 lander, as well as pre-deployment of tools and experiments through Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS) deliveries. Astronauts could then deploy/operate/utilize these tools and experiments once on the surface. It is expected that some science investigations may require the attention of a crew to deploy/conduct experiments, while other investigations may simply use the Artemis architecture as infrastructure to supply power, communications, etc. to otherwise autonomous systems.
