What Artemis II’s astronauts will look for on the Moon’s far side - Nature

NASA's Artemis II mission will send astronauts to investigate the Moon's far side as part of the agency's broader effort to establish a sustainable human presence there. The far side of the Moon, permanently shielded from Earth's radio interference, offers unique scientific opportunities for lunar geology and potential resource assessment. Artemis II represents a crucial step toward the Artemis program's goal of returning humans to the lunar surface and eventually establishing infrastructure for longer-duration missions. The mission will help NASA identify sites and collect data that could support future lunar bases and inform plans for eventual human missions to Mars. Identifying what resources and geological features exist on the far side could reshape the timeline and feasibility of deep-space exploration objectives.