Artemis Science Planning and Integration: Overview and Lessons Learned from the JETT5 Mission Simulation

Analog mission simulations provide essential testing and training opportunities in preparation for NASA’s return to the Moon through the Artemis program. Artemis astronauts will conduct science-driven extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the lunar surface, requiring science integration through premission planning, mission execution, and post-mission analysis. Analog operations tests are an important way to prepare for many components of lunar surface activities. Herein we focus on the planning, integration, and science operations relevant for Artemis III.

In May 2024, the Joint EVA and Human Surface Mobility Test Team (JETT) conducted the fifth test in a series of analog missions, known as JETT5. The test consisted of two astronauts in the field at a lunar analog site near Flagstaff, AZ, supported by a Flight Control Team (FCT) in Houston, TX. Similar to JETT3 (October 2022) [1-9], the JETT5 test involved a NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) team working with the FCT to plan and execute a series of simulated lunar EVAs. Below we report on the science test objectives, mission planning workflow, and science operations