LEMS - NASA Science

The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is one of the first three payloads to be a part of Artemis III, NASA’s mission that will send astronauts to explore the region near the lunar South Pole. Artemis III, currently planned to launch in 2026, will be the first time humans will return to the Moon’s surface since the historic Apollo program in 1969-1972.

The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is a compact, autonomous seismometer suite designed to carry out continuous, long-term monitoring of the seismic environment, namely ground motion from moonquakes to meteorite impacts in the lunar south polar region. The instrument will characterize the regional structure of the Moon’s crust and mantle, which will add valuable information to lunar formation and evolution models.

LEMS can operate autonomously and sustainably for years at the Moon to collect geophysical measurements continuously during lunar days and nights. LEMS is intended to operate on the lunar surface from three months up to two years and may become a key station in a future global lunar geophysical network.

Photo of two men in blue lab jackets working on a copper colored box with wires — Team members during final preparation of the LEMS Engineering Unit for thermal-vacuum testing. Pictured left to right: Richard Mills and Mitchell Hamann. During this test the LEMS prototype was subjected to the ultra-high vacuum and harsh thermal conditions that mimic the surface of the Moon to demonstrate that the station can sustain itself and operate unassisted for long durations. (Image Credit: NASA MSFC)

Photo of the inside of the LEMS engineering unit with labels pointing to the batter, mass spectrometer, telecomm system, avionics, power system and seismometer — LEMS Engineering Unit during integration at GSFC. This LEMS prototype incorporates a compact mass spectrometer provided by GSFC and a broadband seismometer provided by the University of Arizona. The unit’s Avionics manage its power and thermal states and initiate monthly communication sessions with ground stations on Earth to transmit collected data. (Image credit: NASA GSFC)

Artist rendering of a monitoring station on the moon surface with Earth in the background — Artistic rendering of the fully deployed Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) after delivery to the Moon by a lander (gray structure) (Image credit: NASA GSFC)

NASA MISSION

Artemis III

Artemis III will build on the crewed Artemis II flight test, adding new capabilities with the human landing system and advanced spacesuits to send the first humans to explore the lunar South Pole region.

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Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS)

Artemis III

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