[Music]
Artemis is our 21st century return to the Moon.
Together, NASA, international space agencies,
and a growing global space industry
will explore Earth’s nearest neighbor with advanced robotics
and our next generation of astronauts.
But where will our astronauts explore?
The Moon is a treasure trove of scientific discovery,
and NASA has its sights set on the South Pole.
This mysterious region features soaring mountains
and deep craters, leading to unique locations
that experience nearly continuous sunlight –
in contrast to nearby depressions that never see the sun.
Artemis III will mark humanity’s return to the lunar surface
for the first time since 1972.
NASA has identified thirteen regions near the South Pole
that meet safety requirements for landing
and present opportunities to search for lunar resources.
Each region can also help us learn more about
the history of the Moon,
and gain a better understanding of our place in the solar system.
These thirteen candidate landing regions represent
a diversity of features in the lunar South Pole,
ranging from the summits of mountains
rising miles above their surroundings,
to the rims of large craters.
These features together act to both expose and preserve
billions of years of geologic history.
Using robotic orbiters and rovers,
NASA and the global science community
will continue to study these regions
before selecting the Artemis III landing site.
The astronauts selected for this bold expedition
will literally and figuratively shine a light
on some of the deepest, darkest areas of the solar system,
revealing ancient secrets of the universe.
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