NASA Prepares Artemis II Astronauts for Lunar Science Mission

Crew to make detailed observations of the Moon during historic flyby

Feb. 3, 2026 at 8:31am

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NASA is preparing the Artemis II crew of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen to serve as scientific ambassadors during their historic lunar flyby. The astronauts have undergone extensive training in lunar geology and observation techniques to maximize the scientific value of their mission. Meanwhile, a team of NASA and U.S. Geological Survey scientists will guide the crew's observations from mission control, with the goal of shedding new light on the formation and history of the Moon.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission represents the first time in over 50 years that humans will see the lunar surface up close. The astronauts' observations could help answer fundamental questions about the Moon's origins and its relationship to Earth, with implications for our understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve.

The details

During the Artemis II mission, the crew will have several hours to study the lunar surface as their Orion spacecraft passes by. They have been trained to make detailed observations of the Moon's colors, reflectivity, and surface features, which could reveal new insights about the formation of impact craters and other geological processes. The astronauts have also memorized 15 key lunar landmarks to help orient themselves and their observations. For a brief period during the flyby, the crew will be out of communication with mission control, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in studying the Moon.

  • The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch in 2024.
  • The crew will spend approximately 3-4 hours studying the lunar surface during their flyby.
  • For a 45-minute period, the Orion spacecraft will be out of communication with mission control, allowing the astronauts to focus solely on their lunar observations.

The players

Artemis II Crew

The four-person crew of the Artemis II mission, including Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen.

Kelsey Young

The lunar science lead for the Artemis II mission, responsible for training the astronauts in geological observation techniques and coordinating the science operations from mission control.

Jancy McPhee

The associate chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, overseeing the experiments that will study the effects of deep space travel on the Artemis II crew's health and performance.

NASA's Science Evaluation Room (SER)

The team of lunar scientists and cartographers who will analyze the crew's observations and provide real-time guidance during the mission.

NASA's Science Mission Operations Room (SMOR)

The team that will provide coordinated data analysis and support to the SER during the Artemis II mission.

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What they’re saying

“I am ready to be an observer and hopefully contribute to answering some of these questions that really the Moon is one of the few places we can answer them. The Moon is a witness plate for all of our solar system's formation, and there are things that we can know only because we are doing this mission.”

— Christina Koch, Artemis II Astronaut (NASA)

“Science is what got us here, this ability to be able to send humans off of our planet, and so to the point that we can enable science, we definitely are all in for that. However, it's really like we're on the shoulders of giants. We do very little. We just do what they tell us to do.”

— Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II Astronaut (NASA)

“The human eye is capable of just amazing things, especially given it's connected to a human brain that's well trained and inspired by geology and lunar science.”

— Kelsey Young, Lunar Science Lead, Artemis II (NASA)

“Anytime you put something real that you're taking a picture through the digitization of remote sensing, it's not the same as seeing it with human eyes, and that's something that I never realized.”

— Christina Koch, Artemis II Astronaut (NASA)

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco Resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Artemis II mission will pave the way for Artemis III, when astronauts will land on the lunar surface and conduct in-depth geological studies.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in humanity's return to the Moon, with the potential to unlock new scientific discoveries about the formation and history of our solar system. By training the astronauts as scientific observers and leveraging the unique capabilities of the human eye, NASA is poised to gain unprecedented insights from this historic lunar flyby.