Four drones will go where no astronaut have landed—yet
NASA is preparing for the Artemis III mission in 2027, which includes a drone project called MoonFall. This mission will deploy four drones to the lunar South Pole to identify potential landing sites for future astronauts. The drones are designed to operate in extreme lunar conditions and will gather high-resolution imagery of the terrain.
- ▪The MoonFall mission will send four drones to survey the lunar South Pole.
- ▪Each drone will weigh about 550 pounds and gather imagery over a lunar day.
- ▪Firefly Aerospace will transport the drones to the moon using its Elytra spacecraft.
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Artist’s rendering of a MoonFall drone operating near the lunar South Pole. Image: NASA Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Email address Sign up Thank you! By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. As NASA looks ahead towards Artemis III in mid-2027, the agency is sharing new details on several projects, including a future permanent moon base and a drone mission called MoonFall. The mission will send four drones to survey the surface of the moon’s South Pole to spot potential landing sites for future Artemis astronauts.
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