On the moon so far One geologist It was visited by Dr. Harrison Schmitt, who worked on the surface of our celestial companion during Apollo 17 (the last Apollo mission). In the future, more emphasis will be placed on geology, as the purpose of the Artemis missions is to find raw materials that humans can use on the Moon. This will require appropriate training of the astronauts, as well as the monitoring crew.
They traveled to the northern part of Arizona For all those NASA ground teams Members who will be part of the new phase of lunar exploration as engineers, managers or flight directors. The professionals went through an intensive field geological training course, where they received 2.5 days of training.
This program is a condensed version of the rigorous and lengthy training program that astronauts heading to the lunar south pole will have to complete. The purpose of the preparation is to make the astronauts in the background, from Earth, aware of the possibilities and needs that may arise during this research.
“This is for all those who make spacesuits or instruments or software systems, who will be flight controllers, and of course for all the managers who lead and finance these operations. We want everyone to understand how the details of surface exploration work come together,” explained Cindy Evans, director of geology education at Artemis. “.
Professionals first learned about the history of the region in theory, then went out into the field and put the acquired knowledge into practical use. They went through the same steps that the Artemis astronauts would take on the moon. On the basis of the rocks examined, they decide in the field where to go next, while mapping the route they have traveled – just as astronauts do on the moon.
In addition to geological field exercises, another team, also in Arizona, will be tasked with testing spacesuits and various systems, such as an augmented reality display that will help astronauts land on the moon in the future, during a simulated “moonwalk.”
