As NASA pioneers new technologies and approaches to storytelling in space for the benefit of humanity, the agency is hosting Artemis in Motion listening sessions with industry on Thursday, January 23 and Friday, January 24 in Los Angeles. .
From live TV images of humanity’s first steps on the moon in July 1969 to two-way 4k transmissions between the International Space Station and an airborne platform by July 2024, NASA and its partners work at the frontiers of the media landscape. Achievements in space exploration
As part of its Artemis mission, NASA will land the next American astronauts and the first international astronauts on the moon, explore more of the moon than ever before, and more.
Through NASA listening sessions, invited attendees will learn about the agency’s work to tell the story of the Artemis generation of lunar exploration, and discuss new opportunities to highlight the agency’s work.
Today’s advances in technology, storytelling, and production make it possible to share the experience of landing, living, and working on the moon in ways never before possible. NASA wants to hear how participants will share an extraordinary story of sustainable human presence and exploration throughout the Solar System, rooted in the three balanced pillars of science, inspiration, and national currency.
NASA’s OTPS (Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy), Office of Communications, and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate are organizing the sessions in conjunction with the Science Mission Directorate, and the Space Operations Mission Directorate.
Review
With the Artemis mission, NASA is returning to the Moon to explore unknown, advanced technology and learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for a human mission to Mars.
Artemis I successfully completed an uncrewed mission in 2022, and Artemis II in 2026 sent four crew members to fly around the moon. In mid-2027, Artemis III and subsequent missions will once again return humans to the lunar surface, landing for the first time where no humans have gone before: the lunar south pole region. Like the historic Apollo landings 50 years ago, these missions to the lunar surface will provide unprecedented opportunities for motion photography to inspire and ignite the imagination of people around the world.
NASA and its commercial partners will have integrated cameras on the human landing system and spacesuits, plus each astronaut will carry their own handheld camera. But we know that modern times offer many creative ways to share these moments, ways to “ride” each of us with the staff. NASA is inviting media producers and distributors, studios, imagery companies, space companies, academia, and other interested parties to share their ideas directly with NASA leadership.
Each participant will be asked to prepare a 30-minute presentation to be presented to the NASA team in a one-on-one session. Concepts should focus on the Artemis III-V missions (for more information on each Artemis mission see NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture), especially the time they will spend on the lunar surface. NASA is particularly interested in information that addresses three key questions:
- What might increase NASA’s planned acquisition, communication, distribution, etc. of lunar images? (See our FAQ section to review our current plans.)
- Video, photography and telemetry of the mission(s) to creatively share the return of humans to the Moon in unique and compelling ways. What can be done with?
- How can NASA collaborate with your organization to help NASA tell the Artemis story in a unique way?
No related activities (eg procurement, cooperative agreement, space act agreement, etc.) are currently planned.
Session details
Beyond the previously scheduled in-person events and depending on demand, NASA may offer additional virtual sessions the week of February 3. The agency is also engaging the entertainment community through a private panel presentation at the Motion Picture Academy.
If space permits, participants will be invited to attend an information session on the morning of January 23 on the Artemis campaign and its motion imagery opportunities. We will provide more information about the optional briefing upon RSVP.
Organizations interested in booking a listening session should email their request to: hq-dl-artemis-in-motion@mail.nasa.gov By Monday, January 13 with the following information:
- Organization Name
- Participant Name – Limited to three
- Point of contact email and phone number
- Request an in-person or virtual session
NASA will schedule the session and contact the organizations directly to confirm all details. No slide decks or digital presentations are permitted during the sessions, although you may bring printed materials.
Please do not share confidential or proprietary information during the session. We will not record the sessions, however, NASA personnel may take notes.
For more information about Artemis in Motion listening sessions, please read our Frequently Asked Questions section below. You can send additional questions or requests for guidance on your presentation. hq-dl-artemis-in-motion@mail.nasa.gov. Please note that we may add your questions to the FAQ below if deemed useful to other participants.
Frequently Asked Questions for Artemis in Motion Listening Sessions
Q: Does NASA have any specific opportunities for which it is seeking ideas?
A: NASA is seeking to explore possible state of the art ideas that complement, improve, or extend the use of imagery from the lunar surface, and would welcome any information about those ideas that Artemis may have. advance the story and conform to NASA principles. The following list of possible opportunities are examples of what might be of interest to the listening team. These are examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the offerings.
A deployable or separately landed camera system for third-person perspective imaging of the lunar surface.
- A deployable or separately landed camera system for third-person perspective imaging of the lunar surface.
- Non-traditional imaging options including virtual reality, augmented reality, and similar immersive technologies.
- Collaboration with the NASA+ team to stream a live event to a huge audience.
- A TV series or production leading up to and around the Artemis mission.
- An efficient, space-rated encoder for transmitting live, high-quality video from a HULC (Handheld Universal Lunar Camera), a ruggedized version of the Nikon Z9.
- Processing techniques to increase data throughput or recall for ground operations.
- A way to increase the bandwidth available for downlinking more or higher quality videos.
Q: What sources of imagery does NASA already plan to use on the lunar surface?
A: NASA expects to have access to at least three sources of lunar surface imagery:
- The human landing system is equipped with external and internal video cameras.
- A video camera is mounted on each astronaut’s suit, providing a view of the crew members during the EVA.
- HULC (a modified Nikon Z 9) that will be carried by each crew member to provide real-time photography.
These sources will offer multiple views, including live video up to UHD resolution. Video will be in standard 16:9 format. There are no current plans for stereoscopic video, 360-degree cameras, or native video/audio.
NASA currently plans to stream live content as an over-the-top service through its NASA+ platform, as well as provide media backhaul feeds. It will also archive and release photography and video, including any images taken later with the crew returning from the moon.
Q: How will additional imagery be routed to the Moon and back to Earth?
A: NASA images will be routed through the Human Landing System and then downlinked to Earth via the Deep Space Network (DSN). Instruments on the lunar surface will transmit images to the human landing system via Wi-Fi. Artemis III may also include a developmental test objective for 4G/LTE connectivity. We expect limited data bandwidth for any non-critical video links, ranging from single digits to low double digits megabits per second. It may be possible for the solution to support a direct downlink to Earth or to support increased bandwidth through a lunar relay system.
Question: What is the weight limit for new systems to be brought to the moon?
A: Although there is no specific weight limit, additional imaging systems are ideally low in mass, size, weight, power and bandwidth due to the limited capability for initial Artemis missions.
Q: Can an organization propose a product or solution for which they will have exclusive rights?
A: NASA has previously entered into material contracts with organizations that include some level of exclusivity. However, NASA seeks to benefit all of humanity and particularly desires solutions that can be shared with the largest possible audience.
Q: Can an organization propose a production that includes pre- and post-mission material such as material with crew members?
A: Yes. NASA expects the mission story to include not just time on the moon, but launch and splashdown; The story of the Artemis campaign includes not only the mission itself, but the engineering, training, uncrewed test flights and their implications.
Q: Are the listening sessions open to organizations outside the United States?
A: Yes, participation by international organizations is encouraged. International space agencies interested in discussing opportunities are encouraged to reach out directly. hq-dl-artemis-in-motion@mail.nasa.gov.
Q: Can NASA help certify or design hardware for use on the lunar surface?
A: Any hardware will need to meet NASA’s interface and safety requirements to fly. The details of these interfaces, as well as the possibility of NASA assisting in meeting them, will be discussed in any subsequent discussions or applications. (As a reminder, NASA is also interested in concepts that don’t require new hardware to be delivered and flown.)
Question: Must any solution be fully autonomous or can it be connected to a suit or human landing system for data and power and/or operated by a crew member?
A: A solution can provide its own communications system or it can route data transmission to and through the human landing system, which can be done via Wi-Fi (development for Artemis III 4G/LTE connection (may include test objective). It is not possible to route data or draw power from the suit. The crew may be able to place a camera on the lunar surface, but the crew’s time is too limited to continue operating the camera. Human landing system support for providing or exchanging power for commands with payload will need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Q: Will information from presentations be shared?
A: NASA does not intend to share information from individual sessions outside of the agency.