NASA IS PREPARING ASTRONAUTS FOR THE NEXT MOONWALK.
                     NASA IS PREPARING 
ASTRONAUTS FOR THE 
NEXT MOONWALK
INTRODUCTION
• NASA plans to return humans to the Moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis 
programme, the agency has already started preparing astronauts for the 
challenges that they will face on the lunar surface.
Source: en.prothomalo.com/
TEST SERIES
• As part of a test series occurring in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) at 
Johnson Space Center in Houston, astronauts in a demonstration version of 
the exploration spacesuit and engineers in "hard hat" dive equipment are 
simulating several different tasks crew could do on the surface of the Moon.
Source: Telangana Today
NEED OF EARLY TRAINING
• This early testing will help determine the best complement of facilities for 
hardware development and requirements for future Artemis training and 
missions.
Source: New York Post
FEEDBACK
• At the same time, NASA is going to be able to gather valuable feedback on 
spacewalk tools and procedures that will help inform some of the objectives 
for the missions.
Source: Gulf Today
TASKS
• Astronauts are practicing a variety of tasks, including picking up samples of 
lunar regolith, examining a lunar lander, and planting an American flag.
Source: Space.com
FUNDAMENTALS
• There are many fundamentals that the teams have to consider and work 
through.
• Such as how crew might get up and down a ladder safely, how to swing a 
chisel safely, and how to conduct successful moonwalks in different lighting 
conditions than the Apollo-era moonwalks.
Source: European Space Agency
FUTURE MISSION PLANNING
• The tests will inform future mission planning, including how many 
spacewalks to conduct during a mission, how long they will be, and how far 
away from a lander the crew will travel.
Source: phys.org
MICROGRAVITY
• While NASA has extensive experience preparing astronauts for spacewalks in 
microgravity like those to construct and maintain the International Space 
Station over the past 20 years, preparing for Moon missions comes with 
different challenges.
Source: Quora
NEUTRAL BUOYANCY LAB
• These NBL runs are so valuable for understanding the human performance 
component and ensuring our astronauts are as safe as possible.
• In addition to testing in the NBL, teams also are using different analog 
environments to simulate lunar conditions.
Source: European Space Agency
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
• The Moonwalk underwater helps astronauts to understand the pressure, 
environment, and other factors they may face when they actually land on 
the Moon. 
Source: SCUBA