NASA has selected three new scientific investigations that will help improve our understanding of the moon’s surface, interior, and radiological environment
These three Artemis payloads will fly as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and the broader Artemis campaign, with delivery to the lunar surface planned by 2028.
The experiment is designed to support both scientific discovery and future human exploration by improving knowledge about the moon’s topography, thermal history, and radiation hazards. The Artemis payload will be provided by U.S. commercial partners and continues NASA’s strategy of working with U.S. industry to expand lunar exploration capabilities.
Advancing Luna Science Through Commercial Partnerships
In CLPS, NASA Sending scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon using a commercially developed lander. This will lead to more frequent missions supporting private sector innovation and the development of a sustainable lunar economy.
The newly selected research was selected through NASA’s Artemis Payload and Lunar Survey Program. All three experiments are location independent. That is, it does not require a specific landing site to achieve its scientific goals. NASA plans to assign them to future CLPS delivery missions at a later date.
Mapping the moon’s surface in three dimensions
One of the selected Artemis payloads, Emission Imager for Lunar Infrared Analysis in 3D (EMILIA-3D), will focus on understanding the Moon’s surface properties. The instrument combines a stereo pair of thermal imagers and visible-light cameras to create a three-dimensional thermal model of the moon’s terrain.
EMILIA-3D will provide insight into the physical properties of the lunar regolith, the fine, dusty soil that covers the moon, by measuring how the temperature changes across the surface. These data will help scientists interpret how heat moves across the Earth’s surface, supporting improved navigation and risk assessment for future robotic and human missions.
Exploring the moon’s internal heat
Another payload, Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER), will investigate the Moon’s internal heat flow. The instrument works by drilling beneath the moon’s surface and pausing for a period of time to measure temperature changes and the heat transfer efficiency of subsurface materials.
Previous versions of LISTER operated successfully in the early CLPS missions, drilling several feet deep into the moon’s near side. A new study builds on that success and aims to measure the heat produced by the moon itself. These discoveries will help scientists better understand the moon’s thermal evolution and geological history.
Understanding radiation on the moon
The third payload, Site-Independent Energy Lunar Ion and Neutron Environment (SELINE), will examine the Moon’s radiation environment directly from the surface. For the first time, scientists will be able to study both incoming galactic cosmic rays and the secondary particles they produce when they interact with the lunar soil.
This information is important for assessing radiation risks to astronauts and equipment during long-duration lunar missions. SELINE’s data will also contribute to a broader understanding of space weather and how radiation processes operate in airless planetary bodies.
Supporting the future of Artemis
All three of these Artemis payloads represent another step in NASA’s Artemis strategy, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained presence there. By leveraging commercial partners and deploying targeted science instruments, NASA continues to expand our knowledge of the Moon while laying the foundation for safer and more informed exploration in the years to come.