EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A UTEP professor is part of the team for Artemis II and III as NASA plans to land two astronauts on the south pole of the moon for the first time in history in 2027.
The mission aims to further lunar exploration and scientific discovery. However, maps of the south pole currently do not exist, and that will soon change with the new Lunar Mapping Program (LMAP) supported by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
That’s where the UTEP professor comes in.
Jose Hurtado, Ph.D., a UTEP professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences, will be part of a team of experts from across the U.S. who will be mapping the moon, as part of the LMAP.
Scheduled for launch in early 2026, Artemis II will send a crew of astronauts around the moon. Hurtado is assisting with mission simulations at the NASA Johnson Space Center between now and the launch.
He will have similar roles in the Artemis III mission, which will be the first human lunar landing in over 50 years. He will also help design the surface mission and science mission objectives and activities, UTEP said.
Hurtado will join KTSM 9 News’ anchor Andy Morgan at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, to talk about how he became involved in this important mission.
You can watch this interview live on KTSM channel 9 or on this web story.
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