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<\/a><\/figure>Editor\u2019s note: This release was updated on Sept. 30, 2026, to correct the name of the DISCO payload.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n NASA selected three new scientific investigations and their payload suites to advance our knowledge of the Moon and help pave the way for building humanity\u2019s first lunar outpost, Moon Base.<\/p>\n The suite of science instruments and technologies was selected through NASA\u2019s 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\u2019s Moon Base Program. 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\u2019s Artemis and Moon Base programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNASA Science is building the ultimate interplanetary survival guide to ensure that science goes first to the\u00a0lunar surface\u00a0to provide our future astronaut crews with the vital information, resources, and safety precautions needed ahead of time to survive the night on the\u00a0Moon,\u201d said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.\u00a0\u201cThese PRISM selections will directly help NASA minimize risks to our astronauts while maximizing our agency goals as we set up humanity\u2019s first lunar outpost in preparation for sending the first astronauts to Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n The three payload suites are:<\/p>\n Lunar Environment Monitoring Station \u2013 South Pole <\/strong>(LEMS-SP):<\/strong><\/p>\n Principal Investigator: Dr. Mehdi Benna, University of Maryland, Baltimore County<\/p>\n \u00a0Geophysical Investigation for Mapping Lunar Interior (GIMLI):\u202f<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Principal Investigator: Dr. Nathaniel Putzig, Planetary Science Institute<\/p>\n Depth Imager with Spectral and Color Optics (DISCO):\u202f<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Principal Investigator: Dr. Ariel Deutsch, NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley<\/p>\n \u201cEach new PRISM selection strengthens our ability to deliver ambitious, transformative science to the lunar surface,\u201d said Brad Bailey, director of the Exploration Science Strategy Integration Office in NASA\u2019s Science Mission Directorate. \u201cThese investigations exemplify how Artemis and Moon Base\u00a0are\u00a0expanding the frontier of lunar exploration, advancing innovative technologies, deepening our understanding of the Moon\u2019s environment, and paving the way for future astronaut missions.\u201d<\/p>\n NASA is increasing its cadence of lunar missions to build a Moon Base, delivering science investigations and technology payloads that contribute to American scientific preeminence, strengthen a sustained presence on the Moon, and advance future human exploration.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s CLPS initiative supports the Moon Base Program, as the agency works with American companies to deliver scientific, exploration, and technology payloads to the Moon\u2019s surface and orbit.<\/p>\n For more information, visit:<\/p>\n https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/lunar-science<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Tiffany Blake\n
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