NASA Lunar Drill Passed Tests

Recently, on March 6th, NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) landed a lunar drill to prepare for the eventual Artemis 3 mission. Artemis is intended to create a permanent settlement on the moon for research. Artemis 3 is scheduled for launch sometime in 2027 or later. Moreover, the lander passed tests on the moon. The drill is for ice mining and mining resources on the moon. The drill, called TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain), is to help us understand the regolith’s properties and soil. Another component involved with the drill is a mass spectrometer named Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO). The lander touched down by one of the moon’s poles in a crater. Many NASA scientists have been trying to utilize the moon’s natural resources for any moon settlement. A NASA scientist, Kleinhenz, has spent 20 years trying to solve this exact problem. If used correctly, it will require fewer launches for resupply, safer travel, reduced mass, and a significantly reduced cost. After the drill touched down, 100% of the instruments functioned for their purpose. One of the instruments added was a core heater and thermometer to monitor temperatures. The MSOLO-detected gases are directly tied to human activity from the Apollo missions. Scientists will continue to analyze the data in the coming months and publish a report.