NASA's Curious Universe Artemis II: How NASA Will Study the Moon—And the Astronauts Going There
Feb 3, 2026
Jancy McPhee, a neuroscientist studying human health risks in deep space. Kelsey Young, a lunar geologist training astronauts in field geology. They discuss how astronauts will observe unseen lunar terrain, intensive geology training in places like Iceland, selecting priority science targets, and experiments studying sleep, immune markers, and bone-marrow responses during Artemis II.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Timing Can Reveal Unseen Far Side
- Artemis II may let humans see previously unseen far-side regions depending on launch timing and lunar phase.
- The science team will pick the best targets from ~150 candidates in a high-pressure two-day narrowing after launch.
Prioritize, Then Trust Well‑Trained Crew
- Prepare targeted priorities but practice flexibility: scientists and crew must finalize targets after launch based on exact lighting.
- Train astronauts on a short master list (the Big 15) so they can orient and execute under time pressure.
Flashcards Helped Astronauts Learn The Moon
- Reed used a homemade flashcard to memorize the 'Big 15' lunar features during classroom training.
- Kelsey responded by improving those flashcards for the crew's orbital identification tasks.