NASA Proposes Massive Telescope on the Moon

The Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager could revolutionize our understanding of stars and exoplanets.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has proposed a design for a lunar Long-Baseline Optical Imaging Interferometer (LBI) for imaging at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths, known as the Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI).
The AeSI, an array of multiple telescopes, could operate on the far side of the moon, taking detailed images of stellar surfaces and their environments.
The moon's airless environment and extended periods of darkness make it a pristine environment for conducting high-resolution interferometric imaging.
The lunar interferometry array could resolve the surfaces of stars, probe the inner accretion disks surrounding nascent stars and black holes, and begin the journey towards resolving surface features and weather patterns on the nearest exoplanets.
The creation of a major facility on the moon, in conjunction with the Artemis Program's human exploration goals, is expected to generate tremendous public interest and engagement.