NASA is extending the deadline for a unique opportunity to participate in the upcoming Artemis II mission, allowing individuals to send their names on a digital voyage around the moon. Originally set to close January 21, 2025, the agency will now continue collecting submissions for inclusion on an SD card aboard the spacecraft, scheduled for launch no later than april 2025 [1]. This mission represents the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years and a critical step towards establishing a sustained human presence on the moon.
NASA is still accepting submissions for a unique opportunity to send your name on a future lunar mission. Originally slated to close on January 21, 2025, the agency is continuing to collect names for inclusion on an SD card that will travel aboard the Artemis II spacecraft.
The Artemis II mission, planned for launch no later than April 2025, represents a significant step in NASA’s renewed push for human space exploration. The mission will carry a crew of four – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – on a 10-day journey to test systems critical for future lunar surface missions.
Participants who submit their names will be able to download a free, digital “boarding pass” as a souvenir. More than 3 million names have already been registered to journey to space, according to NASA.
Interested individuals can submit their names via NASA’s website.
The Artemis II mission will utilize the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, launching from Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Service Module of the Orion spacecraft will initiate a burn to propel the spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit and towards the moon. This Translunar Injection burn will send the astronauts on a four-day journey, orbiting the far side of the moon in a figure-eight pattern, reaching a maximum distance of over 230,000 miles from Earth.
During the mission, the crew will travel approximately 4,600 miles beyond the moon to evaluate the spacecraft’s systems. In addition to the human element, Artemis II will carry a variety of equipment designed to expand knowledge of space radiation, human health and performance, and space communication. This data will be crucial for informing future space exploration efforts.
Upon completion of the mission, the Orion spacecraft will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego. NASA and Department of Defense recovery teams will be on hand to retrieve the crew and the spacecraft.
This mission marks the first time NASA has flown humans with the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, representing a major milestone in the agency’s long-term goals for deep space exploration.
