to the south pole of the Moon

The moon is an old acquaintance in human space exploration, but there are still parts to discover and step on. Having a permanent space base on the moon will simplify this exploration, but first NASA will have to check a list of requirements and needs among which stands out taking a tour of the south pole of the moon. After all, it is the place with the most votes to settle. But before humanity arrives, a fleet of drones will have to do the dirty work: the mission moonfall.

cfour drones and a destination never explored. The Moonfall mission is scheduled for 2028, at which time four robotic drones will fly over and land at the South Pole of the Moon for the first time in history with the aim of identifying safe landing zones for future astronauts of the Artemis program.

Each drone will weigh about 250 kg, measure 1.2 high and 2.1 in diameter. Inside they house an imaging system to map the terrain, a neutron spectrometer to detect water below the surface, a radiation spectrometer and a laser retroreflector so that ground control can locate them precisely. Although they will operate for a full lunar day (up to 14 Earth days), their instruments will continue to function several months later, enduring the -130 °C of the cold lunar night.

Why is it important. Because the lunar south pole has elements that make it the ideal place to set up the human base. Thus, it concentrates craters that are permanently in shadow where has been confirmed the presence of water ice, the basis for obtaining drinking water, oxygen and fuel for future missions. Without these resources, they would have to be supplied from Earth, which would make human presence on the moon unfeasible in terms of cost.

The problem is that that area has never been mapped with enough precision to plan safe landings, something that Moonfall’s drones want to change.

Context. Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon, something that has not happened since Apollo 17 in 1972, and establish a stable human presence there. With Artemis III In its roadmap for mid-2027, NASA is working in parallel on other projects, including this Moonfall, an essential mission for its final objective: its terrain and resource data will be critical data to decide where to build that base.

Currently, the US NASA and 66 other states have signed the Artemis Agreementsa high-level framework of principles for the exploration and development of the lunar surface during this century, but it is more of a statement of intent than something binding. China is going on its own and in fact has its own lunar program with the lunar South Pole also between eyebrows. In short: the lunar South Pole has become the new object of desire of the space race insofar as it has first-level geopolitical implications.

In detail. The company Firefly Aerospace It is the one chosen to build the ship that will take the drones there. The Texas company is an old acquaintance for NASA: its Blue Ghost lander became the first commercial vehicle to successfully reach the lunar surface in March 2025, delivering 10 NASA scientific instruments and capturing images of a solar eclipse from the surface.

Elytra, as the ship is called, will undertake a 45-day journey from the Earth to the Moon, where it will enter orbit and brake so that the four drones land at a distance of about 50 kilometers above the South Pole. Once deployed, each drone will land autonomously in different areas to maximize coverage over the territory.

Yes, but. The drones that will explore the moon will face enormous challenges. To begin with, they need rocket propulsion to rise, since there is no atmosphere on the moon and conventional rotors are useless. This translates into skyrocketing fuel consumption, so they are limited in terms of flights. Additionally, those shadowy craters are inhospitable areas where there is no light, so solar panels are not an option. From a legal point of view, the Artemis Agreements offer a framework, but they do not have the force of an international treaty in the event of conflicts or third parties outside of it, such as China itself.

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Cover | POT with Gemini