The Artemis II crew of NASA is training in Iceland in preparation for a flight to the Moon, expected to take place as early as September 2025.
This summer, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and backup crew members NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons, traveled to Iceland to familiarize themselves with the rugged terrain of the Moon, Newsweek reported on September 17.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch stands amidst the desolate landscape of Iceland during a geological field training session. (Photo: NASA/Robert Markowitz).
This mission is the latest in a series of crewed space missions that have trained in Iceland, beginning with the Apollo missions over fifty years ago. The landscapes of Iceland are filled with lava fields, craters, and barren rocky terrains, resembling the surface of the Moon. Unique rock types such as basalt and breccia, which have been found on the Moon, also exist in Iceland due to the strong volcanic activity.
The geology of Iceland provides astronauts with the opportunity to practice working in conditions similar to those on the Moon, while also helping them refine techniques for identifying, collecting, and documenting rock samples using specially designed tools. The crew also practiced navigation skills, spending time living and working together as they would in space.
“The tools used in the Apollo missions have not changed much for the Artemis missions. Traditionally, a geologist would go out with a standard toolkit such as a rock hammer, shovel, or scooping tool to collect samples from the surrounding area, both on and below the surface,” said Trevor Graff, an exploratory geologist and team lead for testing and hardware in the Artemis science team at NASA Johnson.
Angela Garcia, an exploratory geologist for the Artemis II mission, demonstrates how to use a rock hammer and chisel to extract samples from a large rock in Iceland. (Photo: NASA/Robert Markowitz)
In 2022, during NASA’s Artemis I mission, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the uncrewed Orion spacecraft successfully launched to the Moon, orbiting the celestial body before returning to Earth.
Next, Artemis II will be the first crewed mission of the Artemis program. This mission is expected to send four astronauts into space aboard the Orion spacecraft, orbiting the Moon for 10 days before returning to Earth. Artemis II is expected to launch as early as September 2025, according to NASA.
The Artemis III mission will mark the first time humans return to the surface of the Moon since 1972. The astronauts on this mission will land near the Moon’s south pole and spend about a week conducting scientific research. NASA plans to launch this mission as early as September 2026.
