Mission to advance planetary science
As the mission progresses, NASA’s instruments will conduct tests and demonstrations of technologies for lunar subsurface drilling, regolith sample collection, satellite-based navigation, radiation-tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation. The data gathered will provide valuable insights into how space weather and cosmic forces influence Earth, advancing planetary science.
As payload operations near their end, teams will work to capture imagery of the lunar sunset and study how lunar dust reacts to solar influences during the dusk period, a phenomenon initially observed by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan. After the sunset, the lander will continue functioning for several hours into the lunar night.