A new report recommends four locations on the Moon for future crewed missions, moving attention beyond the lunar south pole, SpaceNews reports. The study was released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which identified the sites as targets for astronauts to explore in order to advance scientific discovery.
According to SpaceNews, the report advises that human missions should visit these four locations. Coverage of the findings also came from Mashable, which reported that astronauts are being urged to visit the four sites.
The work was led by a Purdue University researcher who heads a group advising the nation on the future of lunar exploration, according to Purdue. Fox 59 reported that the Purdue professor chairs the committee, which aims to see US astronauts return to the Moon.
The recommendation places emphasis on destinations other than the south pole, which has been a central focus of planning for crewed lunar exploration. The report frames the four sites as places where astronaut visits could yield scientific returns.
Details on the specific locations and the reasoning behind each selection were not included in the available reporting.
What to watch next: whether NASA or international partners respond to the report's recommendations and how the proposed sites factor into planning for future crewed lunar missions.
