• Home
  • Science
  • Science News
  • Darkest Regions of the Moon Explored Using Machine Learning Ahead of NASA’s Artemis Mission

Darkest Regions of the Moon Explored Using Machine Learning Ahead of NASA’s Artemis Mission

Researchers used a deep learning-driven post-processing tool to explore the darkest areas of the Moon.

Darkest Regions of the Moon Explored Using Machine Learning Ahead of NASA’s Artemis Mission

Photo Credit: ETH Zurich/LPI

A view of the lunar south pole with two of NASA's Artemis landing sites

Highlights
  • The Moon has specific areas that never receive sunlight
  • These regions could contain ice deposits useful for future space missions
  • A new method helps explore the darkest regions of the lunar surface
Advertisement

The Moon has specific areas that never receive sunlight, regions that are located in areas of 'permanent shadow'. These dark regions include the sunken floors of impact craters that remain shadowed and are extremely cold. Scientists believe that these sites, devoid of sunlight, might prove to be fruitful if explored — due to the possibility of formation of ice. However, the darkness of these areas made exploration a challenging process. An international team of scientists has now developed a method to peer into the darkest areas on the lunar surface, ahead of NASA's upcoming Artemis mission. 

The permanently dark regions witness temperatures less than 100 degrees Kelvin (-173 degrees Celsius) and approaching absolute zero, where water and other volatile substances may get frozen in the soil. The ice formed in the area might provide clues to the integration of water in the Earth-Moon system, according to researchers at ETH Zurich. In addition, the ice may also offer resources that could be used by astronauts for consumption, rocket propellant, or radiation shielding.

To explore these areas, the team used a physics-based deep learning-driven post-processing tool to produce high-signal and high-resolution Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Narrow Angle Camera images of 44 shadowed regions in the Artemis exploration zone. This tool is efficient in capturing photons that are bounced into the dark regions from crater walls and adjacent mountains. This method allows scientists to reveal potential exploration regions in images.

“Visible routes into the permanently shadowed regions can now be designed, greatly reducing risks to Artemis astronauts and robotic explorers,” explained principal scientist Dr David A. Kring from the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI).

According to researchers, astronauts of NASA's Artemis mission will be able to spend only 2 hours in the shadowed regions wearing the spacesuit designed for them. The new images will help mission planners to guide the astronauts to boulders in the dark regions and locations where the soil can be analysed for the distribution of any ices.

The team applied their technique on images gathered by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, which has been used to document the Artemis exploration zone. The enhanced images were analysed to determine that water ice was not visible in the sheets that cover the dark Lunar regions.

“There is no evidence of pure surface ice within the shadowed areas, implying that any ice must be mixed with lunar soil,” said Dr Valentin Bickel, a former graduate student intern at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and now a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich. Dr Bickel is also the lead author of the study published in Geophysical Research Letters. 

Dr Bickel added that their findings might also impact the mission delivering the PRIME-1 payload of NASA. He said that they have detected a crater and some other features that can alter the location where the “Intuitive Machines' hopper touches down later this year.”


This week, we discuss Android 13 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Moon, Dark Regions, Artemis
Samsung Foldable Phone With Expandable, Wrappable Display Seen in New Patent Filing: Report
Oppo Find N2 Will Not Have Crease Issues on Its Folding Display: Pete Lau
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »