NASA Adds New Science Investigations for Moon Base

What happened

The suite of science instruments and technologies was selected through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program and will fly to the lunar surface using the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative as part of the agency’s Moon Base Program. Editor’s note: This release was updated on Sept. NASA is a public and space exploration company founded in 1958.

Artist’s rendering depicting astronauts, habitats, rovers (a vehicle that drives across another world’s surface), power systems, and cargo operations supporting sustained human activities at the Moon Base near the lunar South Pole. The payloads will help researchers understand lunar resources, map natural shelters, and assess environmental hazards, laying the foundational groundwork for a safe and sustained human presence under the agency’s Artemis and Moon Base programs. The three payload suites are: Lunar Environment Monitoring Station – South Pole ( LEMS-SP): The autonomous LEMS-SP instrument suite will serve as a long-term environmental and hazard monitoring station.