Nasa's mission to resume sending humans to the moon looks like it will be a giant leap in the dark.
The space agency – whose plans include women walking on Earth’s satellite for the first time – have identified 13 possible landing sites.
NASA said the Artemis missions will “venture into dark areas previously unexplored by humans and lay the groundwork for future long-term stays”.
Among the places under consideration include a peak near the Shackleton crater, named after Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.
As well as identifying permanently shadowed regions, the scientists have factored in other lighting conditions.
All 13 areas also contain sites that provide continuous access to sunlight during a six-day period – the planned duration of the Artemis III surface mission.
Sunlight is critical for a long-term stay as it provides a power source and minimises temperature variations.
The first flight in the Artemis programme is due to lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Monday.
It will not have a crew on board.
The second flight is scheduled to take astronauts around the moon in 2024 - with a lunar landing by the third mission as early as 2025.
Only 12 people, all American men, have walked on the moon. The first were Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969.
The last visit was 1972.
