NASA to announce potential landing sites for Artemis III astronauts

As NASA is preparing to land the first astronauts on the Moon in more than 50 years, the agency will be announcing potential landing sites for astronauts to land as part of the Artemis III mission, targeted for 2025.

For the unversed, Artemis III is the first Artemis mission to involve a crewed lunar landing. Artemis III astronauts will touch down on the lunar surface aboard a SpaceX Starship Human Landing System (HLS).

"Within each region, there are several potential landing sites. Each of the selected regions, from which specific landing sites could be selected, is of scientific interest and was evaluated based on terrain, communications, and lighting conditions, as well as ability to meet science objectives," NASA said in a press release on Thursday.

The agency will hold a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, August 19. Audio of the briefing will live stream on NASA's website.

As we make progress on our #Artemis campaign, we're excited to host a media telecon on Friday, Aug 19 at 2PM ET to announce the potential landing regions for Artemis III, our first steps on the Moon that will pave the way for a long-term presence. Details: https://t.co/VQdSyFGXeW pic.twitter.com/dpZ0PDTv6P

— Jim Free (@JimFree) August 17, 2022

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a stepping stone to send astronauts to Mars.

As part of the Artemis III mission, NASA's powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will launch four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft for their multi-day journey to lunar orbit. There, two crew members will transfer to the SpaceX HLS for the final leg of their journey to the surface of the Moon. After spending nearly a week on the lunar surface, they will board the lander for their short trip back to orbit where they will return to Orion and their colleagues before heading back to Earth.