Navy Seeks Volunteers for NASA Moon Gravity Study

Active-duty service members and TRICARE dependents eligible for new research on effects of lunar gravity

Apr. 14, 2026 at 2:33pm

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A bold, abstract painting in soft blues, greens, and grays, featuring sweeping geometric arcs and concentric circles, conceptually representing the complex scientific forces at play in NASA's gravity study.NASA's research into the human body's response to varying gravity levels will be crucial for future lunar exploration missions.Today in Dayton

The U.S. Navy is recruiting volunteers to participate in a NASA study examining the impact of varying gravity levels on the human body, in support of the Artemis moon exploration program. The experiments will take place at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and involve controlled acceleration in a centrifuge module to simulate different gravitational fields, followed by tasks while wearing special eye-tracking goggles.

Why it matters

As NASA works to establish a sustained human presence on the moon by the end of the decade, understanding how the human body responds to the moon's weaker gravity field is crucial. This research will help develop countermeasures to the vestibular issues astronauts may face during space travel and lunar exploration.

The details

Participants in the study must be active-duty service members or TRICARE dependents who pass an aviation medical clearance. They will first be subjected to high-speed centrifuge spins to simulate different gravitational fields, then complete tasks while wearing eye-tracking goggles to measure the effects on their bodies. The experiments are being overseen by the Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton, the Air Force Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, and NASA's Human Research Program.

  • The study is part of NASA's Artemis moon exploration program, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the moon by the end of the 2020s.

The players

Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton

A unit that is overseeing the gravity study experiments at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Air Force Research Laboratory

A partner organization involved in the gravity study experiments.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

A partner organization involved in the gravity study experiments.

NASA's Human Research Program

The NASA program that is supporting the gravity study to help develop countermeasures for astronauts.

Rich Folga

A project manager assigned to Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton who explained the importance of the participants' physical readiness for the centrifuge exposure.

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What they’re saying

“The participants' physical readiness for the unique aspects of the centrifuge exposure, coupled with the need to have reasonable astronaut analog subjects, is key.”

— Rich Folga, Project Manager, Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton

What’s next

The study is an important step in supporting NASA's Artemis moon exploration program, which aims to create a sustained human presence on the moon by the end of the 2020s.

The takeaway

This research will help NASA develop critical countermeasures to address the physiological challenges astronauts may face when transitioning between Earth's gravity, zero gravity, and the moon's weaker gravity during future lunar exploration missions.