Training the Artemis II Astronauts for Observing the Moon

In 2026, NASA’s Artemis II crew launched to the Moon. The mission includes a lunar pass around the far side of the Moon, allowing for the crew to directly observe and make scientific observations of the lunar surface from cis-lunar space, and potentially seeing and describing surfaces that have never been seen before through human eyes. As the Moon represents the cornerstone of planetary science and a critical target for future exploration, the Artemis II Lunar Science Training Team developed and provided an immersive lunar science and science operations training program to train the Artemis II crew as mission scientists and prepare them for their lunar exploration through observations from orbit.