The Artemis III crew will land in potential regions selected by NASA

The space agency has identified 13 potential landing locations near the lunar South Pole of Earth's sole natural satellite, as it prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon as part of its Artemis missions.

Artemis III will be the first Artemis mission to take the crew to the lunar surface, including the first woman to occupy the lunar surface. There are multiple potential landing sites in each of these regions.

Choosing these regions means we are one giant step closer to bringing humans back to the Moon for the first time in history. As astronauts enter dark regions previously unexplored by humans.

The mission will be unlike any that have come before, and it will lay the groundwork for future long-term stays, NASA deputy associate administrator Mark Kasich said.

Based on decades of lunar science findings, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data, and decades of NASA publications, a team of scientists and engineers assessed the area near the Moon's South Pole.

The team also assessed these regions with regard to their ability to accommodate a safe landing, taking into consideration terrain slope, ground communications, and lighting.

There are diverse geologic features in all the selected regions within six degrees of latitude of the lunar South Pole. To ensure flexibility throughout the year, multiple landing sites have been selected since specific landing sites are best launched during specific launch windows.

However, each of these regions is significant from a scientific standpoint since they are close to the lunar South Pole, an area rich in resources with permanently shadowed areas and terrain that has yet to be explored.

In workshops and conferences, NASA will discuss these 13 regions with the broader science and engineering communities, seeking input on the merits of each.

The feedback from the community may also help the space agency identify additional regions to consider in the future. As soon as Artemis III's target launch dates are determined, it will select sites within these regions for the mission.