National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
US congressionally chartered scientific advisory body; sponsors NASA space policy studies via its Space Studies Board.
Last refreshed: 14 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
If NASEM says there are no viable non-polar sites, does Artemis have to share the Moon's south pole with China?
Timeline for National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Progressed DEPS-SSB-24-06 study to identify non-polar Artemis IV and V landing sites
Artemis II Moon Mission: Non-polar sites, AVATAR tissue in review- What is NASEM and why does NASA use it for advice?
- NASEM is a congressionally chartered independent advisory body. NASA commissions its Space Studies Board for scientific reviews because NASEM reports carry external credibility Congress accepts as authoritative.
- What is the NASEM study on Moon landing sites about?
- DEPS-SSB-24-06 is a NASA-commissioned study assessing non-polar lunar landing sites as alternatives to Shackleton crater, driven by the geographic overlap between Artemis and China's Chang'e 7.Source: NASA
- When will the National Academies Moon landing report be published?
- NASEM study DEPS-SSB-24-06 is expected to deliver in the second half of 2026.Source: NASA
Background
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is conducting study DEPS-SSB-24-06 for NASA, assessing non-polar lunar landing sites as alternatives to Shackleton crater for Artemis IV and V. The study is ongoing through H2 2026, when it will deliver its report. The study is driven by the geographic convergence between the US Artemis programme and China's Chang'e 7 mission, both of which target the same south-polar terrain, and its findings will directly influence the Artemis IV landing site selection.
NASEM is a congressionally chartered, independent body established by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as the National Academy of Sciences. It operates on a study-and-report model: federal agencies commission panels of external experts who produce findings that agencies are not obligated to follow but Congress treats as authoritative. The Space Studies Board (SSB), within NASEM's Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, is the sub-body that sponsors space-related studies including DEPS-SSB-24-06. NASEM reports have historically carried enough political weight to reverse NASA programme decisions: the 2017 Decadal Survey in Earth Science, for instance, directly shaped the satellite mission portfolio for the following decade.
For Artemis, NASEM occupies a specific advisory role: it provides the independent scientific review layer between NASA's internal programme offices and Congress. DEPS-SSB-24-06's non-polar site recommendations, when published, will be the primary external document against which the Artemis IV site selection is measured.