# Astronauts urged to visit 4 moon sites

> National Academies recommend Apollo 15 site and three others for Artemis astronauts.
- Title: Astronauts urged to visit 4 moon sites · Mashable | Shortify
- Summary: National Academies recommend Apollo 15 site and three others for Artemis astronauts. NASA's Artemis astronauts should visit four moon sites including Apollo…
- Keywords: nasa, artemis, apollo 15, lunar landing, moon sites, hadley rille, bhabha crater, orientale basin, aristarchus plateau, technology, culture, Astronauts
- Source: Mashable — https://mashable.com/science/nasa-artemis-moon-landing-sites-report
- Author: Elisha Sauers
- Published: 2026-10-21T22:13:50+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nasa, artemis, apollo 15, lunar landing, moon sites, hadley rille, bhabha crater, orientale basin, aristarchus plateau, technology, culture
## Apollo 15 site
Astronauts should return to Apollo 15's Hadley Rille to inspect 1971 hardware and samples.

> A crew would land just north of the site at Mons Hadley — far enough away to avoid damaging it
## Four recommended sites
National Academies selected Bhabha Crater, Mons Hadley, Orientale Basin, and Aristarchus Plateau for Artemis missions.

> They prioritized locations they believed would benefit from human explorers over uncrewed robots
## Why visit these sites
Studying hardware and biological samples from 1971 could reveal how lunar environment impacts equipment and biological material.

> That 'would be foundational information [for] how we need to engineer the systems for lunar bases'
## Bhabha Crater benefits
Bhabha Crater offers insights into solar system's oldest impact and is prime for radio astronomy due to far side location.

> It's an almost unmatched location for doing radio astronomy, and the reason for this is because it's in the quiet zone on the far side of the moon
## Mission details
Each mission sends two astronauts for one to four moonwalks within 2 kilometers of their lander.

> The panel also chose landing sites that offered the most opportunities for geology, biology, human health, and physics research
## Key takeaway

NASA's Artemis astronauts should visit four moon sites including Apollo 15's Hadley Rille to study hardware and biological samples from 1971.