What imaging systems can NASA’s Artemis astronauts use on the Moon to conduct groundbreaking science and efficient documentation on the lunar surface? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) aspired to address as a team of researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory investigated using next-generation cameras on the Artemis III mission, which is slated to be the first lunar surface mission of the Artemis program.
The study notes, “Astronaut-acquired photography will provide a critical context for maximizing the scientific return from the extravehicular activities (EVAs) planned for Artemis III. Images will be used to understand the context of crew observations and samples spatially in the exploration area, temporally within the mission timeline, and thematically within the Artemis III science traceability matrix (STM).”
For the study, the researchers discussed how the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) could successfully be used to conduct science imaging operations on the lunar surface. This includes reconnaissance being conducted by astronauts of the interior and exterior of the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) during and after landing and documenting lunar surface traverses through panoramas both between and at science stations. The team notes that the type of camera planned to be employed is the full-frame mirrorless digital camera, Nikon Z9.
The researchers emphasized the importance of real-time video streaming and downloading to enable ground crews to communicate with the astronauts and make on-the-fly decisions regarding science objectives and situational awareness. They also discussed the use of Third-Person Point-of-View (3POV) capabilities, which provides a level of redundancy for documenting crew activities and science objectives.
Regarding future work, the study notes, “We will continue to work with the teams responsible for engineering and testing the HULC, including aiding in radiometric and geometric calibration. Radiometric calibration is required for some science objectives (e.g., photometry for regolith characterization), and geometric calibration is necessary for deriving precise morphometric measurements and for photogrammetric processing.” The researchers emphasized training Artemis III astronauts regarding the importance of documentation and HULC use on the lunar surface.
The HULCs build off the Hasselblad cameras used by the 12 Apollo astronauts who walked on the lunar surface for Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. During those missions, the Hasselblad cameras were mounted to the front of the astronauts’ spacesuits and documented their journeys on the lunar surface with still photography and video.
This study comes as Artemis III is currently scheduled for mid-2027 and will consist of an approximately 30-day mission to the lunar surface using Starship HLS. This mission will mark the first time humans have stepped foot on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. However, it is currently unknown how the recent Starship explosion at Starbase in Texas could delay Artemis III and subsequent Artemis missions. This also comes after the Trump Administration has proposed canceling the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft after Artemis III due to SLS’s estimated $4 billion per launch price tag.
Documentation during scientific expeditions, whether on Earth or in space, is of the utmost importance for improving data collection and decision making for all parties. Therefore, documentation is especially important on future lunar surface expeditions so astronauts, ground crews, engineers, and mission managers can make the best-informed decisions regarding science objectives, crew safety, and improvements on future lunar surface missions.
How will HULCs help Artemis astronauts conduct groundbreaking lunar science in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
