NASA’s Moon To Mars Exploration Objectives: Here’s All We Know

On Monday, September 20, NASA released a revised list of objectives of its ‘Moon to Mars’ exploration approach.

NASA's list of objectives of 'Moon to Mars' exploration approach is a blueprint for exploration of the solar system and beyond. ( Image Source :https://www.nasa.gov/ )

NASA is all set to lead a sustainable and innovative programme of exploration with its international and commercial partners. On Monday, September 20, NASA released a revised list of objectives of its ‘Moon to Mars’ exploration approach. The list is a blueprint for exploration of the solar system and beyond. Through this approach, the space agency intends to send humans farther into space and bring them back to Earth with new knowledge.

Earlier this year, NASA shared a list of 50 draft objectives developed by top leaders and invited the public, industry and international partners to provide feedback on the same, the space agency says on its website. This was followed up with workshops with industry and international partners to further discussions on the ‘Moon to Mars’ programme. The resulting list of 63 final objectives reflects a systematic strategy covering four broad areas – science, transportation and habitation, Lunar and Martian infrastructure, and operations.

In a statement released by the US space agency, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy called the objectives both practical and aspirational, and expressed that she was gratified by the contributions of the workforce, industry and partners who have joined hands with NASA in shaping the future of space exploration. “We need a roadmap with staying power, and through a collaborative process, we’ve identified a core set of defined objectives to achieve our exploration goals with our partners,” Melroy said.

Candidate Landing Regions For Artemis III

Under its Artemis mission, NASA envisions exploration of the Moon more extensively than ever before. 

The image below shows 13 candidate landing regions identified by NASA near the Moon's South Pole for the Artemis III mission — the first crewed mission to the Moon's surface since 1972.

The draft of high-level objectives was released to the public and NASA’s own workforce in May, 2022. The space agency requested feedback latest by June, 2022. Having received over 5,000 inputs, NASA modified some ideas and even added new objectives.

“The objectives will help ensure a long-term strategy for solar system exploration can retain constancy of purpose and weather political and funding changes. They help provide clear direction as new technologies, vehicles, and elements are developed in the coming years and are designed to be realistically achievable,” Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said in the statement. 

Right after the launch of Artemis I later this month, NASA plans to send the first humans to orbit the Moon on the Artemis II mission in 2024 and to the lunar surface on the Artemis III mission in 2025.

To read the complete list of final objectives, click here.