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Our Work Consensus/Advisory Activity Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers

In progress

Topics

Legislation and Policy

Space, Security and Conflicts

The National Academies is convening an ad hoc committee to prioritize high-value lunar destinations—excluding the poles—for human exploration. The committee will develop a strategy that identifies key human sortie destinations and outlines the necessary in-situ measurements to achieve the goals of the most recent decadal survey. It will also provide justifications for involving humans instead of solely relying on robotic rovers. Additionally, the committee will assess the advantages of sequential exploration and identify essential pre-placed assets. The final report will include science traceability matrices, visual summaries of targeted lunar locations, and their associated scientific objectives.

About Past Events

Meetings

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 18

January 9, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EST)

Closed
Meeting
Past

The committee is meeting in closed session.

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 17

December 19, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EST)

Closed
Meeting
Past

The committee is meeting in closed session.

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 16

December 12, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EST)

Closed
Meeting
Past

The committee is meeting in closed session.

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 15

December 5, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EST)

Closed
Meeting
Past

The committee is meeting in closed session.

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 22

December 2, 2025
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM (EST)

Closed
Meeting
Past

The panel is meeting in closed session.

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Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers

Dropdown items

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 18

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 17

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 16

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 15

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 22

Committee on Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Meeting No. 2

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 13

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 21

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences, Meeting #13 (Virtual)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #12

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 20

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Closed Meeting No. 9

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 19

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #11

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences, Meeting #12 (Virtual)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Closed Meeting No. 8

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 18

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 12

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 17

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - In-person/hybrid Meeting #3

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences, Meeting #11 (virtual)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 16

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 11

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Meeting No. 6

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #10

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #9

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Closed Meeting No. 7

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Closed Meeting No. 6

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Meeting No. 5

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences, Meeting #3

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 10

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Meeting No. 4

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Meeting No. 7

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences Teleconference #10 (Closed)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #8

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 15

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 9

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Meeting No. 6

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Meeting No. 3

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - In-person/hybrid Meeting #2

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences, Teleconference #9 (Closed)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 14

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 8

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 13

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences, Meeting #2

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #8

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Meeting No. 5

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 12

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #7

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #6

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 7

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Meeting No. 4

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Meeting No. 2

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences Teleconference #8 (Closed)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Closed Meeting No. 5

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 11

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 6

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 5

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences Teleconference #7 (Closed)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Meeting No. 3

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - In-person/hybrid Meeting #1

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 10

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 9

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #5

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences Teleconference #6 (Closed)

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #4

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Closed Meeting No. 4

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 8

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 4

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Closed Meeting No. 3

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 7

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Human and Biological Science - Meeting #3

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Applied Sciences, Meeting #1

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences - Meeting No. 2

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Meeting No. 1

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers - Closed Meeting No. 3

Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers: Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science - Closed Meeting No. 6