How NASA’s Artemis II lunar science operations will inform future missions

NASA’s Artemis II mission, set to send four astronauts on a nearly 10-day mission around the moon and back, will advance the agency’s goal to land astronauts at the moon’s south polar region and will help set the stage for future crewed Mars missions.

While the Artemis II crew will be the first humans to test NASA’s Orion spacecraft in space, they will also conduct science investigations that will inform future deep space missions, including a lunar science investigation as Orion flies about 4,000 to 6,000 miles from the moon’s surface. From this distance, the moon will appear to be the size of a basketball held at arm’s length and will provide a unique opportunity for scientific observations.

As Orion passes on the far side of the moon—the side that always faces away from Earth—the crew will analyze and photograph geologic features on the surface, such as impact craters and ancient lava flows, relying on their extensive geology training in the classroom and in moon-like places on Earth. The astronauts will also practice describing nuances in shapes, textures, and colors of surface features. This type of information reveals the geologic history of an area and will be critical to collect when Artemis III astronauts explore the surface.

“Artemis II is a chance for astronauts to implement the lunar science skills they’ve developed in training,” said Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s also an opportunity for scientists and the engineers in mission control to collaborate during real-time operations, building on the years of testing and simulations that our teams have done together.”

The four Artemis II astronauts, NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA’s (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen, could be the first humans to see some parts of the moon’s far side with the naked eye, depending on the spacecraft’s final trajectory as determined upon launch. During the nine Apollo missions that left Earth’s orbit, astronauts saw parts of the moon’s far side, but not all of it, as they were limited by which sections were lit during their orbits.

One previously unlit region they may see is the Orientale Basin, a 600-mile-wide crater that serves as a transition point between the near and far sides and is sometimes partly visible along the moon’s western edge.

The astronauts may also get to observe flashes of light from space rocks striking the surface—clues that help reveal how often the moon gets hit—or dust floating above the edge of the moon, a mysterious phenomenon scientists want to understand.

The crew’s observations will help pave the way for lunar science activities on future Artemis missions to the moon’s surface, including Artemis III. Artemis III astronauts will investigate the landforms, rocks, and other features around their landing site. They will also collect rock samples for generations of analyses in Earth labs and set up several instruments to investigate lunar properties and resources—information critical to future human exploration efforts.

“Whether they’re looking out the spacecraft’s windows or walking the surface, Artemis astronauts will be working on behalf of all scientists to collect clues to the ancient geologic processes that shaped the moon and our solar system,” said Cindy Evans, NASA’s Artemis geology training and strategic integration lead, based at NASA Johnson.

In addition to lunar science observations, the crew will gather data on the effects of the space environment on the crew’s health and performance. These experiments will be managed through the Payload Mission Operations Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, in tight coordination with mission control. This data could inform long-term lunar exploration and future human missions to Mars.