NASA has issued a request for designs of a “lunar freezer” intended to securely store materials obtained from the moon during the upcoming Artemis missions.

As outlined in a request for information (RFI) published on the federal contracting website SAM.gov, the primary purpose of this freezer will be to facilitate the safe transport of scientific and geological samples from the moon back to Earth.

These samples are specifically those gathered as part of the Artemis program, Space.com reported.

However, the RFI also mentions the potential utility of the lunar freezer in preserving and transporting “human biological/physiological samples collected during the missions,”

This suggests its role in examining how space travel to the moon impacts astronauts. NASA’s timeline aims for the lunar freezer to be prepared by the conclusion of 2027, with deployment planned for the Artemis 5 mission.

Written by staff