Evaluating potential landing sites for the Artemis III mission using a multi-criteria decision making approach

The selection of a landing site within the Artemis Exploration Zone (AEZ) involves multiple factors and presents a complex problem. This study evaluates potential landing sites for the Artemis III mission using a combination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methodologies, specifically the TOPSIS algorithm. By integrating topographic, illumination, and mineralogy data of the Moon, we assess 1247 locations that meet the Human Landing System (HLS) requirements within 13 candidate regions and Site 004 near the lunar south pole. Criteria considered include surface visibility, HLS-astronaut line of sight, Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs), sunlight exposure, direct communication with Earth, geological units, and mafic mineral abundance. Site DM2 (Nobile Rim 2), particularly the point at latitude 84°12’5.61”S (−84.20156°) and longitude 60°41’59.61”E (60.69989°), is the optimal location for landing. Sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of our approach, validating the suitability of the best location despite the MCDM method employed and variations in criteria weightings to prioritize illumination and PSRs. This research demonstrates the applicability of GIS-MCDM techniques for lunar exploration and the potential benefits they can bring to the Artemis program. • Evaluated 1247 locations within the Artemis Exploration Zone (AEZ) using TOPSIS. • Assessed visibility, PSRs, sunlight, Earth communication, geology and mafic minerals. • Site DM2 (Nobile Rim 2) is the optimal landing site (84°12’5.61”S, 60°41’59.61”E). • Locations within Sites SL3, 20, and Haworth did not feature in the top 100. • Sensitivity study confirmed ranking robustness against varying weights and methods.