Meet Dr. Lauren Edgar: The Planetary Scientist Collaborating with Astronauts and Robotics for the Artemis III Geology Mission
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| Beyond Apollo 18: Preparing the Artemis Geology Team for Astronaut Exploration on the Moon's South Pole |
In contrast to the Apollo missions that ventured into well-illuminated lunar areas, the upcoming Artemis missions will set their sights on the enigmatic shadowed regions of the Moon's South Pole. This presents an array of fresh challenges and opportunities for lunar exploration.
Dr. Lauren Edgar, Deputy Principal Investigator for the Artemis III geology team, underlines the departure from the Apollo era, stating, "This is going to be very different than Apollo. This is not just Apollo 18. This is a completely different way of getting there, and the exploration strategies will be different, and the science goals will be different."
Recently, NASA assembled a team to formulate a science plan for the Artemis III mission, marking the first human lunar landing in more than half a century. Heading this initiative is Dr. Brett Denevi, Principal Investigator for Geology on Artemis III, representing Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The mission's target date is late 2025, contingent upon the preceding Artemis II mission scheduled for the following year.
Dr. Lauren Edgar, a planetary scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, brings a wealth of experience from working with astronauts on geological fieldwork on Earth and robotic missions like NASA's Mars Curiosity rover. Edgar highlights the mission's focus on the South Pole due to its rich potential for volatiles—substances susceptible to vaporization in sunlight—such as water and various ices. Investigating these materials holds the promise of shedding light on the broader evolution of volatiles within our solar system.
The presence of water ice on the Moon serves as a pivotal reason behind NASA's selection of 13 potential landing sites in the Moon's South Pole region. NASA, alongside its international collaborators, envisions harnessing lunar water resources for fuel and drinking water.
However, the choice of Artemis III's landing site may also hinge on engineering constraints, such as the need to land in sunlight. Nevertheless, all 13 candidate regions offer valuable access to essential geological findings, including the remnants of an ancient impact crater, potential volatiles, and opportunities for space weathering analysis.
Leading up to the arrival of astronauts, NASA has dispatched payloads on several private robotic missions to aid the geology team in identifying volatile distributions and anticipatory insights for the astronauts. The rocks collected by these astronauts will be distinct from the samples brought back during the Apollo program.
Dr. Lauren Edgar and her team are tasked with formulating a science plan that will equip the astronauts for the unique challenges of exploring another celestial body. She acknowledges the formidable nature of this endeavor, emphasizing that conducting geology on other planets presents considerable challenges.
The lunar terrain presents its own set of hurdles, with astronauts needing to navigate precisely and avoid obstacles such as boulders and impact craters. Additionally, they must carry their entire life support system with them, making movement in the spacesuit challenging.
NASA astronauts typically undergo three phases of geology training, starting as candidates and progressing to in-field expeditions. The third phase is mission-specific, allowing for tailored training once the Artemis III crew is named and landing sites are defined. Scientists collaborate closely with astronauts to provide insights into their landing area, including required observations and sample collection.
As the landing sites are narrowed down, astronauts receive further training on Earth, simulating conditions they will encounter on the lunar South Pole. Various analog sites worldwide, like Flagstaff, Arizona, Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, and Iceland, facilitate these training efforts.
NASA's overarching objective is to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Dr. Edgar underscores the importance of in-situ resource utilization, the use of planetary resources, in shaping exploration strategies for Mars. This forward-thinking approach is pivotal in testing infrastructure and technologies required to support human missions, with the ultimate goal of enabling human exploration of the Red Planet.
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