NASA plans to return humanity to the Moon, but first must determine exactly where to land.

The space agency described nine potential moon landing sites for his Artemis III Missionthe agency’s first planned return to the Moon in more than five decades. The mission, planned for 2026, plans to land near the lunar South Pole, where astronauts will visit unexplored areas, according to NASA.

The nine selected regions are areas where the crew can land safely to discover new discoveries and better understand how to live on the lunar surface, according to NASA. The agency has not determined priority rankings for the selected regions.

During the selection process, experts considered, among other factors, suitability of terrain, availability of launch windows, lighting conditions, scientific potential and communication capabilities with Earth. NASA officials also examined the combined trajectory capabilities of its Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft and Starship Human Landing System.

“The Moon’s South Pole is a completely different environment than where we landed during the Apollo missions,” Sarah Noble, Artemis’ chief lunar scientist, said in a statement. “It provides access to some of the oldest terrain on the Moon, as well as cold, shaded regions that may contain water and other compounds. Each of these landing regions will allow us to conduct research amazing scientists and make new discoveries.”

What are the 9 moon landing sites?

NASA selected nine potential landing regions, each with diverse geological characteristics and flexibility for mission landing. Each location is at the lunar South Pole, which has never been explored on a crewed mission and features permanently shadowed areas that can preserve resources like water.

The following lunar sites were considered:

• Peak near Cabeus B

• Haworth

• Malapert massif

• Mons Mouton plateau

• Mons Mouton

• Noble rim 1

• Nobile Rim 2

• by Gerlache Jante 2

• Slater Plain

When was the last human visit to the Moon?

The last human to land on the Moon was on December 19, 1972, during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission.

The astronauts on this mission were the last to visit the Moon and the last to travel more than 400 miles from Earth, according to the National Air and Space Museum.

Humanity first landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission during which Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the Moon.

Artemis III, which will send two astronauts to the surface of the Moon, is planned for September 2026. Artemis II, which will send astronauts around the Moon, is planned for September 2025.

This article was originally published on USA TODAY: NASA identifies 9 possible landing sites for a visit to the Moon in 2026