As NASA plans to return to the moon during the Artemis missions, important lessons can be drawn from the Apollo missions of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Apollo Lunar Module (LM) successfully supported lunar descent, landing, EVA operations, all necessary crew functions for the duration of the mission and ascent from the surface. Using it as a starting point for reference can save time and resources for new designs, as well as provide the opportunity to address past issues.
Apollo Lunar Lander PDF
NASA crewed spaceflight programs have had years of experience with the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) programs in performing exterior vehicle proximity activities such as crewed Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), robotics, docking, and inspections. These experiences have been operated in full sunlight every 45 minutes during each orbit in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The lunar surface, especially at the South Pole, will have poor lighting conditions due to the day-night cycle lasting one Earth month (see photos below for comparison to Apollo conditions) and the extremely low angle of the sun relative to the South Pole surface. Exploration of exterior lighting systems need to plan for both perpetual darkness and perpetual harsh sunlight. This Artemis Lighting Considerations Overview Technical Brief is intended to provide guidance on development of an integrated lighting architecture plan that accommodates human and machine vision related EVA tasks. The lighting engineering process may involve trade-offs in meeting these needs within power constraints and physical restrictions on light sources and operator placement. Treatment of the solution as an integrated design project will provide for the development of all end-item components (suits, lunar terrain vehicle (LTV), Human Lander System (HLS), and Surface) needed to provide a productive lighting system that supports crew safety and perform …