The projects will be flown under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which partners with private companies to transport scientific instruments to the moon, and form part of the agency’s broader Artemis campaign to establish a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
NASA deputy associate administrator for exploration in the Science Mission Directorate, Joel Kearns, said the selections reflected a deliberate shift in how the agency conducts lunar science.
“Through CLPS, NASA is taking a new approach, drawing on innovation from US industry to reach the moon’s surface and enable scientific discovery,” Kearns said. “These investigations will not only expand our understanding of the moon’s history and environment, but also help inform future human safety and navigation on the moon and beyond.”
The three selected investigations span surface imaging, subsurface heat flow, and radiation measurement and are designed to operate at a range of lunar locations rather than a single, fixed landing site.
The first payload, known as the Emission Imager for Lunar Infrared Analysis in 3D (EMILIA-3D), will generate three-dimensional thermal models of the lunar landscape. Using a thermal imager combined with a stereo pair of visible-light cameras, the instrument will measure surface temperatures and map the moon’s terrain in detail.
The data will help scientists better understand the physical properties of the moon’s dusty surface layer, known as regolith, and improve navigation and imaging of the lunar surface. The project is led by principal investigator Andrew Ryan from the University of Arizona.
A second investigation, Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER), will probe beneath the moon’s surface to measure heat flowing from its interior. The instrument drills down in stages, stopping at intervals to record temperature changes and the ability of subsurface materials to conduct heat.
An earlier version of LISTER flew on the Blue Ghost Mission 1 CLPS flight, where it drilled to a depth of about one metre and took multiple thermal measurements. The new investigation, led by Seiichi Nagihara of Texas Tech University, will focus on understanding heat generated within the moon itself, shedding light on its internal structure and thermal history.
The third payload, Site-agnostic Energetic Lunar Ion and Neutron Environment (SELINE), will examine the moon’s radiation environment at the surface. For the first time, SELINE will measure both incoming galactic cosmic rays and the secondary particles produced when that radiation interacts with the lunar regolith.
The findings are expected to improve understanding of lunar surface processes and inform space weather forecasting and safety planning for astronauts on long-duration missions. The project is led by Drew Turner from Johns Hopkins University.
All three investigations were selected through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon call for proposals. Because they do not require specific landing locations, NASA will assign them to future CLPS delivery missions at a later date.
NASA uses the CLPS program to regularly deliver scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the moon, supporting exploration, science, and potential commercial activity. By maintaining a steady cadence of lunar missions, the agency aims to foster a growing lunar economy, while harnessing the speed and innovation of the commercial space sector.