The Science of Artemis II
- Sharife Gacel
- Jan 26
- 5 min read
The goal of this article is to bring attention to the science planned during the Artemis II mission, an area that is frequently underrepresented in public discussion. Artemis II is more than a test flight. It marks humanity’s return to deep space with a crew onboard for the first time since 1972. While Artemis I demonstrated that the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion spacecraft, and ground infrastructure could fly safely without astronauts, Artemis II introduces the most complex and informative variable of all: people. The science on Artemis II helps us understand how humans stay healthy and work effectively, using real data that will guide future missions beyond the Moon. (To jump straight to the science, click here. )
Overview of the Artemis II Mission
Before diving into the science, let’s take a brief look at the mission itself. Artemis II is the first crewed mission of the Artemis program led by NASA. Four astronauts will launch from Florida aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of the Space Launch System rocket. After reaching Earth’s orbit, Orion will perform a translunar injection burn, travel to the Moon, conduct a flyby of the lunar far side, and return to Earth for a Pacific Ocean splashdown near San Diego. (A translunar injection burn is the moment when a spacecraft leaves Earth’s neighborhood and heads toward the Moon.)
Artemis II will not land on the Moon. Its purpose is validation. The mission tests spacecraft systems, life-support performance, navigation, communications, and crew operations in deep space while conducting targeted scientific investigations (which is what this article is mostly about).
Why Go?
Questions about the importance of the Artemis program arise regularly. The following points outline the primary reasons behind its significance, beginning with the role of human exploration in advancing scientific discovery.
Scientific discovery:
Sending humans into cislunar space allows researchers to study how deep space affects sleep, stress, immune function, radiation exposure, cognition, and teamwork. Crew observations of the Moon add real-time human perception to decades of robotic data.
Economic and technological growth:
Investments in lunar exploration drive advances in medicine, engineering, materials science, and computing. These innovations frequently translate into applications on Earth, from health monitoring technologies to safety systems.
Inspiration:
For the first time in more than fifty years, human voices will be heard from near the Moon. Artemis II is a visible reminder that exploration is ongoing and that discovery remains a shared human endeavor.
Timeline of Artemis II
Artemis I (2022): Uncrewed mission that validated the Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft, and ground systems.
Artemis II: First crewed flight of SLS and Orion, focused on systems validation, crew health, and science integration.
Artemis III (no earlier than 2028): Planned lunar landing near the Moon’s south pole, with a strong emphasis on geology and surface science.
Artemis IV: Expansion of lunar infrastructure through assembly of the Gateway.
Artemis V and beyond: Long-duration lunar surface missions, advanced vehicles, and expanded scientific capability.
Crew
The Artemis II crew brings together a combination of operational experience, leadership, and scientific expertise. Reid Wiseman serves as commander, with Victor Glover as pilot, while Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen fly as mission specialists. Together, the crew will play a critical role in evaluating how humans perform during a deep-space mission, helping to shape future crewed exploration beyond Earth orbit.
Trajectory
Artemis II will carry humans farther from Earth than any mission before it.
Following launch, Orion will orbit Earth and then adjust its trajectory toward the Moon. The spacecraft will fly past the lunar far side before turning back toward Earth. The mission follows a free-return trajectory designed to carry Orion around the Moon and back toward Earth. The mission concludes with atmospheric reentry and ocean splashdown.
Mission Objectives
Priority 1 Objectives:
Detecting subtle color variations on the lunar surface beyond simple shades of gray
Observing albedo changes in real time
Identifying and documenting lunar impact flashes
Priority 2 Objectives:
Studying photometric changes related to surface properties
Observing potential landing sites for Artemis III and later missions
Describing impact craters and basins, especially on the lunar far side
Detecting lunar dust under varying illumination conditions
Identifying tectonic features such as fault lines
Priority 3 Objectives:
Investigating volcanic history on the lunar far side
Observing the lunar terminator and its interaction with the exosphere
Capturing views of Earth from deep space
Science
Science on Artemis II focuses on human health, performance, and perception in deep space. Much of the mission’s scientific return comes from crew observations, verbal descriptions, annotated imagery, and photographs taken from the Orion spacecraft. These methods will be refined and expanded for future surface missions.
ARCHeR (Artemis Research for Crew Health and Readiness)
The Artemis II crew will wear wrist-based sensors that track sleep, movement, and activity. ARCHeR examines how deep-spaceflight affects sleep patterns, stress levels, cognition, and teamwork.
The study includes preflight and postflight assessments of motor control and behavioral performance. Results will help guide health monitoring strategies and mission planning for longer-duration exploration.
Immune Biomarkers
Spaceflight can alter immune system function. Artemis II investigates these changes using saliva, blood, and urine samples collected before and after the mission. During flight, astronauts place saliva onto specialized filter paper stored in compact booklets. These samples require no refrigeration and allow researchers to measure biomarkers such as cortisol, stress hormones, and indicators of viral reactivation. This low-resource approach provides valuable insight into how the immune system responds to deep space.
AVATAR (A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response)
AVATAR uses organ-chip technology to study how individual astronauts’ cells respond to deep-space radiation and microgravity. Each device is about the size of a USB drive and contains living human cells derived from crew blood samples. For Artemis II, bone marrow cells are used to examine immune system behavior. The chips fly inside Orion in custom hardware that maintains controlled environmental conditions throughout the mission.
After the flight, researchers compare space-flown samples with preflight and postflight controls using advanced genetic analysis techniques. The goal is to identify individualized health risks before committing crews to long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Standard Measures
In addition to experimental studies, Artemis II includes established biomedical monitoring:
Blood analysis before and after the flight
Urinalysis preflight and postflight
Tracking physical movement and performance
These standard measures provide a critical baseline context for interpreting new data.
Radiation Sensors
Cislunar space exposes astronauts to higher radiation levels than low Earth orbit. Artemis II carries radiation sensors to characterize this environment throughout the mission.
The data will inform shielding strategies, mission duration limits, and health risk models for future lunar and Mars exploration.
Looking Ahead
Artemis II is a proving ground. It tests hardware, human performance, and the integration of science into a crewed deep-space mission. The lessons learned will shape how science is conducted on Artemis III and beyond, helping establish a sustainable human presence around and on the Moon. This mission represents a pivotal step in human exploration, where understanding the human experience in deep space is as essential as reaching new destinations.
Currently, the Artemis II launch is scheduled for no earlier than Friday, February 6, 2026 at 9:41pm EST from Launch Complex 39B.
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