NASA's new toys for Artemis mission to map lunar subsurface, minerals

NASA has selected three new scientific instruments to study the moon’s south polar region as part of the Artemis mission. Two instruments—the Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer (AIRES) and the Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer (L-MAPS)—will be mounted on the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), a rover designed to carry astronauts and operate remotely. AIRES will analyze sunlight reflection to detect minerals and volatiles on the surface, creating detailed compositional maps, while L-MAPS will use ground-penetrating radar and temperature sensors to scan up to 40 meters underground, locating buried ice and studying the subsurface structure. The third instrument, the Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer for the Moon (UCIS-Moon), will be placed on a future moon-orbiting satellite to capture high-resolution images of surface water, minerals, and human impact, aiding resource mapping and astronaut navigation. These instruments collectively aim to enhance understanding of the moon’s composition and environment