HUMAN EXPLORATION · IN PREPARATION

ALEP 15

Four-person expedition; two-person surface stay at DGR-2.

IN PREPARATIONCURRENT STATUS

LUNAR SOUTH POLEPRIMARY TARGET

TARGET 21 SEP 2026MISSION DATE

ALEP 15 is a four-person expedition to lunar polar orbit and de Gerlache–Shackleton Ridge 2. Two crew members will descend in Dawn for a planned six-day, 21-hour surface stay while two remain aboard Resolve in lunar orbit.

The mission will return cryogenically controlled samples, deploy the Lunar Polar Science Package and certify navigation, communications and mobility systems for progressively longer polar expeditions.

LATEST OPERATIONAL UPDATE

Final integrated simulation completed 16 July 2026; no open constraint to flight was identified.

MISSION PARAMETERS

Flight facts

Values are the current public mission baseline or the final recorded result.

01 · Target launch21 SEP 2026

Target launch

11:16 UTC

02 · Crew4

Crew

Two surface · two lunar orbit

03 · Mission duration19 d 06 h

Mission duration

Nominal profile

04 · Surface stay6 d 21 h

Surface stay

Three planned EVAs

05 · Sample objective≥65 kg

Sample objective

Controlled return

06 · Landing site89.36°S

Landing site

DGR-2

MISSION OBJECTIVES

Defined outcomes

Mission-level objectives are controlled through the approved program baseline.

01OBJECTIVE

Land a two-person crew within the certified DGR-2 polar landing ellipse.

Verification is recorded in mission operations and closeout documentation.

02OBJECTIVE

Acquire and preserve volatile-bearing material from a permanently shadowed region margin.

Verification is recorded in mission operations and closeout documentation.

03OBJECTIVE

Complete three EVAs and at least 18 kilometres of documented surface traverse.

Verification is recorded in mission operations and closeout documentation.

04OBJECTIVE

Demonstrate continuous polar communications, precision navigation and contingency ascent.

Verification is recorded in mission operations and closeout documentation.

All missions Science data