A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
For more on lunar exploration, we turn to Paul Hayne, a planetary scientist and professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He's part of the science team working on a future Artemis mission to land astronauts on the moon. So, Professor, we heard the astronauts talking about what they can see out the window. Let's listen for a second to commander Reid Wiseman.
REID WISEMAN: The moon is about three to four times the size of the Earth, and it is almost full. And the Earth is just a small crescent out there. It's magnificent. I got a picture of it with the wide lens. It's such a majestic view out here.
MARTÍNEZ: So tell us, what can astronauts see that technology can't at this point?
PAUL HAYNE: Yeah, it's wonderful to hear Reid talking about his view of the moon from that vantage point. The human eye is able to pick up details of the lunar surface that cameras sometimes can't. And we've seen this before with the Apollo missions, where astronauts were able to locate unusual things on the surface like volcanic rocks that may not have been seen otherwise. And so we, as humans, have evolved to be able to detect things that sometimes cameras can't see.
MARTÍNEZ: So what are you getting out of this mission that can connect to the mission that you're working on in 2028?
HAYNE: What I'm most excited about from Artemis II, besides just being inspired like everyone else by the views and the reporting from the astronauts on board, is preparing the way for the future Artemis missions down on the surface. And so Artemis, as a program, is seeking to establish a long-term human presence near the moon's south pole, and this is a very special part of the moon where the sun never shines inside some of the polar craters. And deep inside those craters, we might find ice, and that ice records the collection of stuff that has collided with the moon over the course of the last 4 billion years, providing a treasure trove for scientists like me to study.
MARTÍNEZ: How close will the mission that you're working on in 2028 - how close will they be landing-wise to previous lunar explorations?
HAYNE: Very, very far.
MARTÍNEZ: Far? OK.
HAYNE: So the south pole is nowhere close to where the Apollo missions landed in the 1960s and '70s. And so this is really a whole new world in terms of our exploration of the moon, going to a place that's unlike anything that we've been to before. Some of the coldest places in the solar system - a very harsh environment. So the practice that we're getting with Artemis, too, is really critical for NASA to test not only the life support systems and the technologies needed to get the astronauts to the moon and back safely, but also the science - communication between the scientists on the ground in Houston and the crew on board. And they've done a tremendous job, and NASA really deserves a lot of credit for this for setting up a way of communicating between those scientists and ensuring that we get the best possible observations from the astronauts who have been trained in lunar geology here on Earth.
MARTÍNEZ: I know this mission isn't over yet, but are you counting down to the mission that you're going to be working on? Really quick.
HAYNE: Of course. Yes, yes. You know, this is an extremely exciting time to be a lunar scientist, a planetary scientist and a human being, and we're just thrilled and looking forward to the next phase in the Artemis program.
MARTÍNEZ: Paul Hayne is a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. Professor, thanks.
HAYNE: Thanks very much.
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