Artemis II pilot Victor Glover questioned NASA’s focus on the lunar south pole for early crewed landings, advocating instead for safer equatorial sites during a July 21 forum at Ames Research Center. Citing landing hazards and emergency evacuation delays, Glover urged a more familiar, stepwise approach to lunar exploration.
The lunar south pole has served as the anchor of NASA’s Artemis roadmap for years, drawing missions toward permanently shadowed craters believed to hold critical water ice reserves. But as the agency prepares for its upcoming flights, that core assumption is drawing open pushback from inside the flight corps.
Speaking at the NASA Exploration Science Forum at Ames Research Center in California on July 21, Victor Glover, pilot of the Artemis II mission around the moon this past April, argued that the agency should shift its initial focus. Rather than targeting the rugged pole directly, he suggested that human missions begin closer to the moon’s equator, according to reporting published on Space News.
Equatorial Landings and Medical Evacuation Risks
Glover’s critique targets the orbital mechanics and emergency constraints tied to polar exploration. To support south pole missions, NASA previously outlined a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) paired with the lunar Gateway space station. However, because of the elliptical shape and long orbital period of that trajectory, launch windows from the lunar south pole to rendezvous with Orion open up only once a week.
That limitation introduces severe safety concerns if an astronaut requires urgent medical care shortly after touchdown. Glover illustrated the risk with a hypothetical medical emergency during a lunar landing mission.
“If it ruptures on landing day, you’re stuck for a week. That’s a big deal to me, and I don’t like that plan … The equator gives me opportunity to save that person.”
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Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot
Beyond orbital transfer limits, polar landing sites present distinct environmental hazards. The sun remains low on the horizon near the poles, casting long shadows that complicate final descent and make walking or driving directly into the sunlight exceptionally difficult. Comparing the challenge to driving into a blinding sunset inside a pressurized spacesuit, Glover advocated for familiar equatorial zones bathed in steady daylight, mirroring the Apollo program’s historic approach.
We want to get to the surface. If we want to land soon, familiar, daylight, equator, he added during the discussion.
Balancing Resource Goals Against Geopolitical Urgency
NASA’s long-standing preference for the south pole is rooted in resource utilization. Permanently shadowed craters in the region contain massive water ice deposits, which scientists intend to convert into potable water, radiation shielding, and rocket fuel. Those resources are viewed as foundational for establishing a sustainable, long-term lunar surface base and preparing for eventual crewed missions to Mars.
Yet timing remains a driving factor. Washington policymakers and space industry leaders have repeatedly stressed the pressure of international competition, particularly from China’s advancing lunar program. China has completed robotic sample returns on both the near and far sides of the moon and is developing hardware aimed at achieving a crewed landing by 2030.
During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing last year, Mike Gold, president of civil and international space at Redwire, warned that allowing China to reach the south pole first would trigger a global realignment that will impact our economy, our tax base, our ability to innovate and our national security.
If beating international rivals to the south pole is the primary metric of success, altering course toward the equator could cede that specific milestone. But Glover maintains that a stepwise progression—treating early flights like test aircraft that incrementally expand flight envelopes—offers a safer path to managing operational risk.
I think we need to be realistic and work our way to the south pole, and maybe not try to go there first, he stated.
Agency Flexibility and Evolving Mission Architecture
NASA leadership has recently signaled a willingness to loosen certain mission constraints to accommodate commercial lander readiness. Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator, noted during a March session of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference that the agency has opened performance specifications for early landings to give providers greater flexibility.
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We’re not yet giving up on the south pole, and I don’t think we will, Kshatriya said, emphasizing the need to explore uncharted terrain. We need to challenge ourselves and we need to go to some place we’ve never been.
NASA has also restructured its transit architecture, dropping the lunar Gateway outpost from initial mission plans. For Artemis III, scheduled to test dockings with commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin next year, SpaceX has outlined an approach where its Starship lander docks with Orion in low Earth orbit before heading into a low lunar orbit.
Speaking at the Ames forum shortly before Glover’s remarks, Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist in NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, confirmed that missions like Artemis IV and Artemis V remain formally planned for the south polar region. However, he noted that final site selections will ultimately depend on the actual performance capabilities demonstrated by developing commercial landers.
We don’t know exactly what the lander capabilities will be as they’re developing, so we’re keeping that trade space open until we have that information in hand and can really narrow down exactly where we’re going, Bleacher said.
While Glover acknowledged that his equatorial proposal represents his individual perspective and has not yet gained official traction within agency planning, he stressed the need for ongoing internal debate as the 2028 target for Artemis IV approaches.
I think the way we’re attacking it is going to have some challenges, Glover added. So, if Jared listens to this recording, I mean, I had this conversation with your predecessor, and we should talk.
