Arizona researchers develop equipment to measure seismic activity on the moon for NASA

University of Arizona researchers have developed equipment to measure seismic activity on the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign.

The seismometers will be part of NASA’s Lunar Environment Monitoring Station. For at least two years, the seismometers will gather information about the moon’s interior and help planners conduct hazard assessments for human infrastructure.

UA and tech company Silicon Audio Inc. updated the seismometers to withstand the pressures of spaceflight and lunar conditions.

“Another really important thing that we had to address in the redesign of the seismic instrument is ensuring that it could survive the very, very cold temperatures that are anticipated at the Lunar South Pole," she said.

Daniella Mendoza DellaGiustina is with the university’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.

“That took a lot of work, took us about two years to redesign the instrument and then to test it and ensure that it could survive through a much more challenging environment than it would ever encounter on Earth," she said.

She says NASA’s reorganization of the Artemis program may change where the seismometers end up.