"New NASA photos reveal stunning view of Artemis 3 landing site and Shackleton crater on the Moon"

NASA's ShadowCam has captured stunning images of the lunar south pole, including the permanently shadowed wall and floor of Shackleton Crater, ahead of the Artemis 3 mission. The hypersensitive optical camera is carried by the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter spacecraft and is ideal for high-resolution imaging of areas of the moon that receive no direct sunlight. ShadowCam has also used "Earthshine" light reflected from Earth to examine deeply shadowed craters and can exploit sunlight reflected off the moon's own geological features to image regions bereft of direct sunlight. The Artemis 2 mission is expected to launch in late 2024, with Artemis 3 following in 2025.