Boots on the moon and beyond. Where next after Artemis II mission success?

It is tempting to view the Artemis II splashdown as the exclamation point on a successful lunar mission. And from launch to completion, it was indeed a textbook voyage of discovery for four astronauts, shared with enthralled millions watching across the globe.

However, it would be simplistic to view Artemis II as a stand-alone mission. Its success has shown a path forward for even loftier ambitions.

Australia and CSIRO are perfectly positioned—in both a geographic and innovation sense—to play a pivotal role in that bold future.

Small step by small step

The next crewed mission, Artemis III, will test integration between the Orion spacecraft and landing modules, without setting foot on the moon.

In 2028, Artemis IV plans to put “boots on the moon” for the first time since 1972.

NASA then aims to have astronauts returning to the moon roughly once a year.

The entire Artemis program is considered a precursor to the most ambitious space exploration ever undertaken—a mission to Mars.

A proven technology for future missions

In a space where so much can go wrong, the nine-day Artemis II mission was a near-flawless test of equipment and systems for future missions.

CSIRO staff at NASA’s Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC), along with their Deep Space Network colleagues, maintained contact between the astronauts and ground control. The CSIRO team was on shift for most of the mission’s major milestones, including re-establishing connections when the spacecraft re-emerged from behind the moon after 40 minutes of silence.

For CSIRO too, it was an opportunity to support its partners in demonstrating capabilities for future lunar missions.

Famed for its role in receiving historic images from Apollo 11, Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, also kept track of Artemis II as the mission’s Orion spacecraft flew by the moon as part of US company Intuitive Machines’ ground station network.

Artemis II was also testing new communication methods—CSIRO’s mobile Mission Operations Centre (MOC) proving its worth supporting ANU’s Quantum Optical Ground Station.

The rubber meets the road for CSIRO’s ‘Space Truck’

The CSIRO MOC is a complete mission control center in a B-double. It can be relocated as needed and fits up to 30 operators.

During Artemis II, the MOC was used by the iLAuNCH team at Australian National University (ANU), as they tested their deep-space optical laser link from the Mount Stromlo Observatory.

The high-speed communication system was in contact with the Orion spacecraft during the nine-day voyage.

The first operational mission for the six-month-old MOC saw the control center driven from Brisbane to Canberra the week before launch.

It took two days to train the ANU team how to use the MOC, giving them a dedicated, sophisticated control center to showcase their capabilities in laser communication.

Principal Engineer Craig James says it was the first opportunity after lab testing to integrate the “space truck” into mission operations.

“We do a handover to teams that are better set up to do 24/7 monitoring for longer-term activities,” says James.

“So, we provide the control room, but not the operators. We’ve got seatbelts for the screens, but not for humans!

“Seeing so many brilliant scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff unite to tackle such a complex challenge, sending astronauts around the moon and bringing them safely home, really shows what can be achieved when we come together.

“It’s awesome that the MOC has been part of the Artemis mission. It is now fully verified. We even have the sticker on the inside. It does turn hearts and minds, capturing the inspiration of being out there. But it’s not just smoke and mirrors, it is now fully fledged.”

From Mines to the moon

Alongside James at leafy Pullenvale, in Brisbane’s semi-rural western outskirts, is a committed group of CSIRO experts building a global reputation for knowledge on the ground that could be applied on the moon and beyond.

Dr. Jonathon Ralston leads a team exploring what is known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).

“ISRU is about tapping into local resources to build your off-world base,” Dr. Ralston says. “There’s an exciting link between what the industry needs here on Earth and what is needed in a lunar environment.

“The big driver in the mining industry is ‘how do we reduce people’s exposure to remote and hazardous environments.’ Well, if you’re going to the moon, we’re going to need similar solutions, operating in an ultra-remote environment.”

It’s not about mining in the traditional sense, Dr. Ralston explains, but small-scale equipment using what is there to sustain longer missions to the moon. To do that, he points out, requires advanced automation and sensing technologies.

“And so the skills we have at CSIRO are highly relevant for that kind of mission activity—remote operations, the geo-sensing, the autonomy—to actually operate in that kind of remote environment,” he adds. “So that’s pretty exciting.”

The moon in a room

A feature of CSIRO’s Pullenvale site is the ISRU Facility fondly referred to as “the moon in a room.”

Aspects of the lunar surface have been recreated as a testbed for autonomous space exploration equipment—essentially robots that will be able to collect samples and learn more about the moon than we’ve ever known.

“Those robots are built to survey the area and find out what resources are there,” Dr. Ralston explains.

“We know what minerals are on the moon. But like Earth, every site is different, so until you start exploring a specific area, nobody really knows exactly what’s in the ground there.

“CSIRO is at a fascinating intersection between the geology, the automation and the mining expertise. We spent decades making equipment work in environments that are like the moon in terms of their robustness and remoteness.

“What we’re working on now is transferring that knowledge into space-specific applications.”

Driving around the moon

Dr. Ralston’s excitement builds as he mentions astronauts needing a vehicle to get around and explore further afield.

CSIRO’s robotics and autonomy experts recently worked with US company Intuitive Machines to demonstrate the self-driving capability of its moon RACER vehicle, designed to transport astronauts on the lunar surface.

CSIRO’s Space Robotics Lead, Fred Pauling, notes the close collaboration between robotics and mineral resource activities at Pullenvale is building an internationally respected team.

“I think that’s a really powerful combination that very few other places in the world have,” Pauling says. “For me, this is just the beginning, and Australia has a massive role to play in further exploring the moon and making it a viable place for humans to live and work.”

The rover robot SLAM

Much of the autonomous exploration work being done at CSIRO Pullenvale focuses on 3D SLAM—Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping.

It’s teaching robots to not only map their location, but at the same time build an awareness of their location within that map; much the same as a human might walk into an unknown room but understand their position within that room and be able to navigate around obstacles such as furniture.

The CSIRO team is pioneering “multi-agent SLAM”, where several robots share their location information with each other and a human supervisor.

“Everyone has a shared understanding of the map and where all the moving parts are,” says Pauling. “And that facilitates much more advanced autonomy, which we are also developing.”

AI for added intelligence

The current focus, says Pauling, is adding AI power to autonomy to enable robots to do ever-more complex tasks.

“We could use them to build things like moon bases and prospect for resources. Then our mining capability comes in to collect and process those resources for useful purposes,” Pauling continues.

“NASA and other space agencies look to Australia as the mining country—the mining experts—and we are particularly well known for autonomous mining. We know how to do extremely remote surface operations in a safe, robust and scalable manner.

“CSIRO and Australia broadly have a lot of capability where we can take those advantages and very strong research that we have in Australia and then extend that reputation into working solutions on the moon.

“Robots to do the grunt work and humans to do the really interesting, impactful stuff to connect to people on Earth—that’s the goal.”

It takes a whole planet

It is an exciting time for space science and innovation and the Australian space sector is primed to contribute to this global endeavor.

Nick Carter, a Group Leader in CSIRO’s Space Program, says collaboration is key to successful space activities.

“Space is a shared realm for all of us, and it leads to the space domain being a perfect place to collaborate on science and technology. By drawing on our expertise and location, Australia contributes to the international space science and exploration efforts,” explains Carter.

CSIRO has a long history of working with international and domestic space partners, from using its radio telescopes to track spacecraft exploring the solar system to improving access to Earth observation data.

“The Australian Space Agency is supporting the growth of the Australian space sector with projects like LEAF and ALEPH studying how plants could grow in a lunar environment. This draws on Aussie know-how in growing plants in harsh conditions,” says Carter.

“When we recognize and lean into our own strengths in Australia, it also highlights the wealth of other capabilities that exist around the globe, and combining those together is the most important thing we can do to create an impact that benefits us all.”