Bay Area Scientists Instrumental to Artemis II Moon Mission

NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View played a key role in the historic crewed Artemis II flight around the Moon.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 10:49pm

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A bold, highly structured abstract painting in muted earth tones, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the complex scientific forces and systems that powered the Artemis II mission to the Moon.An abstract visualization of the intricate systems and technologies that enabled NASA's historic Artemis II mission to the Moon, with the Ames Research Center playing a crucial role in its success.San Diego Today

Four astronauts, including the first woman and person of color to exit low Earth orbit, launched into deep space from Florida on April 1 for a 10-day Artemis II mission that saw the Orion spacecraft travel around the Moon and back to Earth. Scientists at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, just nine miles from Menlo-Atherton High School, contributed significantly to the mission through heat shield testing, guidance system development, and other critical work.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission marks a major milestone in NASA's ambitious plan to return humans to the lunar surface, with the ultimate goal of establishing a sustained American presence on the Moon. The involvement of the Ames Research Center highlights the Bay Area's important role in advancing space exploration and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

The details

The Ames Research Center used its advanced facilities, such as the Arc Jet Complex, to design and test the Orion spacecraft's heat shield and improve its stability upon reentry to the atmosphere. Multiple Ames scientists also worked on the systems that guided Orion's lunar observations and will help analyze the post-flight performance of the spacecraft.

  • The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026.
  • The Orion spacecraft splashed down off the coast of San Diego on April 10, 2026.

The players

Eugene Tu

Director of the NASA Ames Research Center and a Bay Area native.

Christina Koch

Artemis II crew member who became the first woman to exit low Earth orbit and enter deep space.

Victor Glover

Artemis II crew member who became the first person of color to exit low Earth orbit and enter deep space.

Jeremy Hansen

Artemis II crew member who is the first non-American to exit low Earth orbit and enter deep space.

Lucas Ye

An 8-year-old from Mountain View who won the international Moon Mascot competition with his design 'Rise', which was used as Orion's zero gravity indicator.

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What they’re saying

“It's been an incredible journey, and I love to see how the Bay Area is contributing.”

— Eugene Tu, Director, NASA Ames Research Center

“[NASA] is a lot of young kids' dream, and it feels, as you get older, a little harder to achieve. So having a concrete example of people working on a really big project like Artemis II, just here in the Bay Area, is pretty cool.”

— Lila Weber, Junior, Menlo-Atherton High School

“I think teachers like to model based on local problems and local scientists and try to connect it back to the area. So it's really useful to live in a place that values education so much so that we can have actual hands-on experience and not just learning out of a textbook.”

— Lila Weber, Junior, Menlo-Atherton High School

What’s next

Future Artemis missions plan to land humans on the Moon again and establish a frequent American presence.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission, with critical contributions from the Ames Research Center in Mountain View, represents a major milestone in NASA's efforts to return to the Moon. This achievement not only inspires the next generation of scientists but also highlights the Bay Area's central role in advancing space exploration.