posted 05-21-2024 04:59 PM               

Arizona Simulated Artemis Moonwalking Site

NASA team members practiced Artemis moonwalking operations from Monday, May 13, through Monday, May 20, 2024, in the San Francisco Volcanic Fields near Flagstaff, Arizona.

The activities were the fifth in a series since April 2022 of simulated moonwalks for Artemis Generation astronauts and teams planning for future exploration of the lunar surface. NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas served as the crew.

Rubins and Douglas wore mockup spacesuits as they tested hardware, capabilities and technologies to conduct operations in a simulated lunar environment for the Artemis III mission and beyond.

posted 04-09-2025 05:52 PM               

From the volcanic fields of Arizona to the lunar-like landscape of Iceland, NASA scientists are actively preparing astronauts and mission support teams for conducting science on the Moon.

Learn about NASA's rich history of geology training and hear how scientists and engineers are getting ready to bring back samples that will help us learn about the origins of our solar system.

posted 05-27-2025 09:12 AM               

The Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team (JETT), led out of Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is a specialized group that develops, integrates, and executes tests and analog missions that enable evaluations of lunar surface systems and operations for Artemis missions.

This field test is the fifth in the series and is the highest fidelity Artemis moonwalk mission simulation to date. The test consists of two integrated teams working together as they practice end-to-end lunar operations with a team of astronauts, NASA engineers, and field experts in the Arizona desert conducting the simulated moonwalks, and a team of flight controllers and scientists at NASA Johnson monitoring and guiding their activities. The test evaluates gaps and challenges associated with lunar South Pole operations, including data collection and communications between the flight control team and science team in Houston for rapid decision-making protocols. The week-long test was conducted in the San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona in May of 2024.