National Academies Identifies Four Sites for Lunar Exploration

The report provides specific targets for future Artemis missions to advance human exploration of the moon.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Space

National Academies Identifies Four Sites for Lunar Exploration

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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has identified four lunar locations as key sites for future human exploration. This research, sponsored by NASA, outlines targets for the ongoing Artemis program and long-term moon-to-Mars mission planning.

Why it matters

Selecting specific landing sites is critical for scientific discovery and understanding the long-term feasibility of human habitation on the lunar surface. These locations offer unique geological features that have remained largely undisturbed for over a billion years.

The study identifies four primary targets: Bhabha Crater, Mons Hadley, Orientale Basin, and Aristarchus Plateau. These sites benefit from the moon's lack of plate tectonics, which preserves geological history dating back over a billion years.

The players

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

An independent, non-profit organization that provides expert advice to the U.S. government on science and engineering research.

NASA

The U.S. agency responsible for the civilian space program, aeronautics research, and space exploration, including the Artemis mission architecture.

The details

The report highlights the need for NASA to advance extravehicular exploration capabilities, which are currently restricted to a 2-kilometer range. Researchers note that since the moon lacks plate tectonics—the movement of large crustal plates—these regions contain stable, historical records of volcanic activity that ceased more than a billion years ago. The committee leveraged legacy data, including physical and biological materials from Apollo 15, which have been exposed to the harsh lunar environment for more than 50 years, to assess long-term site viability.

Volcanic activity on the moon ceased over a billion years ago.
Apollo 15 hardware has been exposed to the lunar environment for more than 50 years.
The National Academies report was published on October 21, 2026.

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The Tech Race

This selection process builds on data gathered from the Apollo 15 mission to refine mission planning for the Artemis program. By targeting specific geological sites, NASA moves from general orbital exploration to precision landing operations required for long-term habitation.

These findings serve as the scientific blueprint for the hardware and logistical requirements of upcoming crewed Artemis missions. The report directly influences how future astronauts will be equipped to traverse distances beyond the current 2-kilometer limit.

The takeaway

The selection of these four sites provides the first clear set of targets for the next generation of human lunar surface operations. Readers should watch for forthcoming NASA mission requirement documents that incorporate these site recommendations into the Artemis operational timeline.