CU Boulder research powers NASA Moon push
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NASA is shifting focus to returning humans to the Moon after Artemis II's safe return, with Colorado researchers playing a key role in upcoming missions.
Why it matters: Some of that research is happening in our backyard at University of Colorado Boulder.
State of play: Following Artemis II, Artemis III will involve testing one or both of SpaceX and Blue Origin's lunar landers in Earth orbit, sometime in 2027.
- The next crewed Moon landing is set for Artemis IV in 2028, according to NASA administrator Jared Isaacman's updated timeline.
Yes, but: A lot of work still needs to be done before humans can once again step foot on the Moon.
Zoom in: Paul Hayne, a planetary scientist at CU's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), is part of the team working to make that happen.
- Hayne's team has developed an infrared camera called the Lunar Compact Infrared Imaging System, or L-CIRiS, that'll be deployed next year near the Moon's South Pole to search for ice, which could be a water source for a long-term lunar base.
- Understanding thermal activity on the Moon will also be useful in planning lunar expeditions, since Hayne said astronauts have narrow windows to work in due to the extreme temperatures.
Hayne is working to create computer simulations of the lunar surface to help train astronauts, too.
- The 3-D simulations include "sunlight and illumination conditions, where the shadows are, the temperature of those shadows, where they might find ice," he told us.
The bottom line: Even in the face of possible big cuts to NASA, researchers like Hayne are hoping the momentum of the Artemis II mission will set the stage for mankind to take its next giant leap.
- "It was a very important step in the direction of sending humans back to the Moon and testing the hardware that will be used to accomplish that mission," Hayne said.
Axios' Robert Sanchez contributed to this story.