NASA to deploy two science instruments on the Moon's surface during Artemis IV mission. The instruments will help scientists better understand the lunar environment, which is essential for future human exploration of Mars.
The first instrument, DUSTER (DUst and plaSma environmenT survEyoR), will be used to characterize dust and plasma around the landing site on the Moon's surface. This will help mitigate hazards to human health and exploration, such as the abrasive and sticky nature of lunar dust. The DUSTER instrument suite is led by Xu Wang of the University of Colorado Boulder.
The second instrument, SPSS (South Pole Seismic Station), will be used to study the Moon's interior structure and seismic environment. This will help scientists determine the current rate at which the Moon is struck by meteorite impacts, monitor the real-time seismic environment, and understand how it can affect operations for astronauts.
"These two scientific investigations will be emplaced by human explorers on the Moon to achieve science goals that have been identified as strategically important by both NASA and the larger scientific community," said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA Headquarters. "We are excited to integrate these instrument teams into the Artemis IV Science Team."
The selection of these instruments is part of NASA's ongoing efforts to address high-priority science questions that can be best accomplished by on-site human explorers on and around the Moon. The Artemis missions will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
The two payloads were selected for further development to fly on Artemis IV, but final manifesting decisions about the mission will be determined at a later date.
The first instrument, DUSTER (DUst and plaSma environmenT survEyoR), will be used to characterize dust and plasma around the landing site on the Moon's surface. This will help mitigate hazards to human health and exploration, such as the abrasive and sticky nature of lunar dust. The DUSTER instrument suite is led by Xu Wang of the University of Colorado Boulder.
The second instrument, SPSS (South Pole Seismic Station), will be used to study the Moon's interior structure and seismic environment. This will help scientists determine the current rate at which the Moon is struck by meteorite impacts, monitor the real-time seismic environment, and understand how it can affect operations for astronauts.
"These two scientific investigations will be emplaced by human explorers on the Moon to achieve science goals that have been identified as strategically important by both NASA and the larger scientific community," said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA Headquarters. "We are excited to integrate these instrument teams into the Artemis IV Science Team."
The selection of these instruments is part of NASA's ongoing efforts to address high-priority science questions that can be best accomplished by on-site human explorers on and around the Moon. The Artemis missions will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
The two payloads were selected for further development to fly on Artemis IV, but final manifesting decisions about the mission will be determined at a later date.
i'm lowkey hyped for this new NASA mission ! 
deploying 2 science instruments on the moon's surface is a huge step towards understanding our lunar neighbor & eventually sending humans to mars 
it makes total sense that they're sending ppl with these tools to study the dust & plasma environment, coz that stuff can be super hazardous to astronauts 
and i'm stoked they're studying the moon's interior structure too, gotta know what we're dealing with before we start colonizing 
. The DUSTER instrument will basically be like a space vacuum cleaner, cleaning up dust and plasma around the landing site to keep astronauts safe 
. Meanwhile, SPSS is like a super sensitive microphone, listening in on the Moon's interior structure and seismic activity 
. It's all part of NASA's plan to lay the groundwork for a human mission to Mars 
. Still, it's exciting to see all these pieces coming together - let's get ready to return to the Moon and take it one step closer to Mars! 
! So NASA's planning to send these two sweet instruments to the Moon to get some serious scientific juice 
. The DUSTER one is like, totally gonna help us understand why lunar dust is so abrasive and stuff, which is crucial for human health on the Moon and future Mars missions 
. Can't wait to see what other cool stuff NASA's cooking up for us 
. but hey, at least we'll know what we're up against when we get there right? 
also, can we please just have some decent Wi-Fi in space already? priorities, people! 
The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams 
. And I think NASA is taking a huge step towards living that dream with their upcoming Artemis IV mission.
. By studying the dust, plasma, and seismic environment, scientists can better prepare humans for the challenges of Mars exploration 
. It's amazing to think that future astronauts will be able to conduct real-time seismic monitoring on the Moon, which could save lives during meteorite impacts 
. This mission is all about pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and setting us up for success in our cosmic endeavors 
. Like, what's the point of sending two science instruments on the Moon if we can't even pay our teachers to live decent lives? The fact that NASA is spending millions on dust and plasma stuff is just ridiculous 
. And don't even get me started on how they're gonna pay for all this, probably by raising taxes or whatever... 
The idea of having instruments on site to study the lunar environment is mind-blowing. Can you imagine being able to collect real-time data on the impact of meteorites on the Moon? It's like we're taking a giant leap forward in our understanding of space and its effects on us. And let's not forget about the dust and plasma – it's crazy how something as simple as lunar dust can be so hazardous to human health. The fact that we get to deploy these instruments ourselves is just...wow 
The fact that we'll have instruments on the Moon's surface helping us better understand the lunar environment is just so cool. Can you imagine having data from DUSTER and SPSS up close? It's like we're getting a glimpse into what life would be like on another planet! 
! It's all about understanding our nearest celestial neighbor and preparing us for a potential trip to Mars 
, while SPSS will give us a better grasp of the Moon's internal structure 
I gotta say, I'm so excited about NASA's plans for the Artemis IV mission! Deploying two science instruments on the Moon's surface is just amazing 
. And if we can get a better grasp of how it works, we'll be one step closer to exploring Mars and beyond 
. I mean, who wants to risk getting covered in sticky lunar dust? Not me! 
. Can't wait to see what discoveries come out of this mission! 
And SPSS is basically like a super sensitive seismograph, can you imagine being able to monitor seismic activity in real-time? It's mind-blowing that these instruments are going to help us better understand the Moon's environment so we can send humans to Mars one day. 
That's a lot of shaking going on! 
Average number of meteorite impacts per year: 18,000 (NASA) | 
!
. DUSTER seems like a game-changer for dealing with all that harsh dust, while SPSS will give us insights into the Moon's internal structure 
Wouldn't that be something?