During a 10-day journey around the Moon and back, NASA’s Artemis II mission is preparing to send four astronauts into deep space, marking a major step toward the agency’s long-term goal of sending humans to Mars.
The Artemis II crew, comprised of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, will be the first to test NASA’s Orion spacecraft with astronauts aboard, traveling beyond low Earth orbit. In addition to evaluating the spacecraft’s systems, the crew will carry out science investigations designed to inform future missions in deep space.
“If we can get the right rock from the South Pole [of the Moon] and bring it back to our labs here on Earth, then we can use that sample to constrain the entire evolution of our solar system and really understand the timing of how the Moon and our planet and the entire solar system evolved,” said Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead at Goddard, in a statement from NASA.
Artemis II Rollout! Seen in this photo are (from left to right): Artemis II backup crewmembers NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons and prime crewmembers NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronaut Christina Koch, pose for a picture with NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
As Artemis II moves closer to launch, Maryland’s role highlights its contribution to the future of human space exploration.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, located in nearby Greenbelt, contributes critical scientific and technical expertise to the broader Artemis program. Its work focuses on science leadership, instrument development, communications systems, and mission support. Montgomery County’s proximity to Goddard bolsters the local economy and supports high-paying jobs. Every $1 million in economic output generated by NASA civil servants supports an additional $4.7 million throughout the Maryland state economy, according a NASA report.
Scientists and engineers at Goddard help shape what type of research is conducted during Artemis missions, including how astronauts study the Moon’s surface and environment. The center also supports communications and navigation systems that enable real-time data to travel between the spacecraft and Earth, essential for both mission safety and scientific discovery.
