Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science

The Panel on Heliophysics, Physics, and Physical Science will gather information and identify and articulate the science objectives related to solar physics, space weather, astronomy, and fundamental physics that would be most enabled by human explorers on the moon. Using NASA’s 2022 Moon to Mars Objectives, the National Academies reports Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, Thriving in Space: Ensuring the Future of Biological and Physical Sciences Research: A Decadal Survey for 2023-2032 and The Next Decade of Discovery in Solar and Space Physics: Exploring and Safeguarding Humanity's Home in Space, and other gathered information, the panel will:

• Identify key science objectives within solar physics, space weather, astronomy, and fundamental physics that can or must be done by human explorers on the lunar surface;
• Specify the key measurements, either in situ or via returned samples, needed to achieve these key science objectives and why human explorers would enable those measurements (as opposed to robotic assets);
• Detail any pre-placed assets (e.g., tools, mobility devices, robotic hardware, and equipment delivered to the lunar surface prior to human landing) that would be either necessary or enabling of these key measurements; and
• 4. Prioritize potential non-polar landing sites or characteristics of landing sites that would be most enabling of these key science objectives and measurements

This panel is one of four operating under the aegis of “Key Non-Polar Destinations Across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers” and its steering committee. The panel will provide the steering committee with its findings and a science traceability matrix outlining each potential non-polar landing site (or characteristics of landing sites) and the science objectives it would enable. The panel will not produce recommendations as part of its input to the project’s Steering Committee.

Overall Project Statement of Task
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene an ad hoc committee to address the topic of “Key Non-Polar Destinations across the Moon to Address Decadal-level Science Objectives with Human Explorers.” To address this topic, the committee will:

• Define a strategy and provide a prioritized list of high-value human sortie destinations for lunar exploration across the Moon (except for the poles), along with any time-ordering constraints, using published documentation, expert testimony, and other input, as appropriate.

o A sortie is defined here as two crew members to the surface for 1-4 EVAs, destination-dependent.

o Site prioritization might be based on addressing single highest-priority objectives at a single destination.

o Discuss whether the number or sequence of destinations explored influences the prioritization, e.g., if exploration at one site would benefit from a preceding mission to another destination.

• For each target destination identified, provide

o Key science objectives to be addressed at that location, tied to the National Academies report Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032 (OWL) and NASA's Moon to Mars Objectives.

o Key measurements, made in situ, needed to achieve the identified science objectives.

o Key measurements that can or must be enabled via samples collected and returned to terrestrial labs to achieve the identified science objectives

o Justification for why these measurements or sample collection efforts would require or would most effectively be enabled by human explorers (as opposed to robotic rovers or sample return)

o Discussion of what, if any, pre-placed assets would be necessary or enabling to accomplish these measurements (e.g., tools, mobility devices, robotic hardware, and equipment delivered to the lunar surface prior to human landing)

o Key resources available at this destination that might be useful for in-situ resource utilization.

• Produce a report that describes the recommended strategy, that also includes at a minimum:

o Science traceability matrices for each target destination.

o A visual summary of targeted geographic locations on the Moon and the associated key science objectives addressed.