Artemis 4 landing sites may be only partially visible from Earth

NASA has named nine candidate landing zones for Artemis missions concentrated near the lunar south pole, but those extreme southerly locations are largely out of clear view from Earth except during favorable libration.

NASA's Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the lunar south pole and has identified nine candidate landing zones for upcoming missions. Artemis 2 launched on April 1 with a four-person crew to test systems needed for future surface missions, and Artemis 4 is currently slated for 2028. The candidate regions are clustered around the south pole and include crater rims, plains and elevated peaks selected for scientific value and communications. Because the moon is tidally locked to Earth and sits at a slight axial tilt, much of the extreme southern terrain is difficult to see from the ground, though a small portion becomes visible when libration is favorable. What is known: - NASA has identified nine potential Artemis landing regions concentrated around the lunar south pole. - Artemis 2 is testing technologies and procedures intended to support a crewed Artemis 4 surface mission planned for 2028. - Candidate sites include crater rims, plains and raised peaks chosen for scientific potential and for maintaining communication with Earth. - The moon is tidally locked, so the same face generally points toward Earth, and a small oscillation called libration lets observers see slightly more than half the surface. - The extreme southerly latitudes of the Artemis 4 candidates mean they are largely out of clear view from Earth; only some of the most northerly candidates (for example Nobel Crater and Malapert Massif) may be glimpsed when libration is favorable. Summary: The focus on the south polar region highlights interest in ancient terrain and shadowed areas that may contain water and other compounds, which guided NASA's choice of candidate sites. Visibility from Earth will remain limited, with occasional glimpses depending on libration, and mission planning and reconnaissance will continue in the lead-up to Artemis 4 in 2028.