In NASA’s imagery, Moonikin Campus is dressed in a new orange spacesuit, specifically designed for the upcoming lunar mission.
According to Space, Moonikin Campus will be the commander sitting in the cockpit of the Orion spacecraft, which will be placed atop the Space Launch System (SLS) – NASA’s new super rocket – to carry out the Artemis 1 mission around the Moon.
NASA’s new commander Moonikin Campus – (Photo: NASA)
The only unusual aspect is that Moonikin Campus… is not a human.
It is a mannequin, precisely human-sized, equipped with numerous sensors on its body, tasked primarily with collecting vital data on the effects of the journey on the human body.
This marks NASA’s first attempt to launch a spacecraft with the SLS rocket for a mission that differs significantly from previous lunar missions, necessitating this test to ensure the success of Artemis 2 in 2024 and Artemis 3 thereafter. Both missions 2 and 3 will involve real astronauts, with one being a lunar flyby and the other a landing mission.
“Moonikin Campus will measure the vibrations and accelerations that future NASA Artemis astronauts will experience,” NASA stated on Twitter. Important measurements will be collected by two sensors placed behind the cockpit seat and under the headrest. This commander will also carry two radiation sensors to measure radiation exposure.
NASA scientists attaching Moonikin Campus to the spacecraft – (Photo: NASA).
The orange suit that Moonikin Campus wears is also another experiment by NASA, aimed at creating the most optimal attire for space missions.
Moonikin Campus will not be alone, as it will fly alongside two other “subordinates” named Helga and Zohar, which are also mannequins. These two mannequins lack limbs, unlike the commander, and are simpler designs, part of the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE).
Currently, Moonikin Campus is securely positioned in the cockpit. The Artemis 1 mission is scheduled to launch on August 29.
