Revision History

During a solar eclipse seen from lunar orbit, Artemis II astronauts spotted six micrometeorite impact flashes on the Moon's surface — an unplanned observation that delighted NASA scientists and raised fresh questions about the hazards facing future lunar habitats. The data, now being cross-referenced with satellite imagery from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, feeds directly into shielding design models for the planned Artemis base camp near the south pole, even as critics question whether the $4.1 billion-per-flight mission cost was necessary to obtain it.