The four Artemis II astronauts will return to Earth on Friday (April 10), bringing not only images of themselves, but also a treasure trove of rare images from their trip to the moon. And the geologists supporting this mission can’t wait to jump in.
“The images are definitely spectacular,” Gordon Oshinsky, a crater expert and planetary geologist at Canada’s Western University who was closely involved in the geological training of the Artemis II crew, told Live Science after seeing the first photos of the crew’s seven-hour lunar flight.
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fancy green and brown moon
So far, two geological discoveries stand out. One of them is Impact Flash. This is a brief but bright flash of light that occurs when a space rock hits the moon and leaves a crater.
Artemis II astronauts Reed Wiseman and Jeremy Hanson reported seeing at least five of these flashes during their lunar flights. Geologists hope that once the crew returns to Earth, they will be able to scrutinize the images and potentially identify craters associated with the impact.
“The conditions are [the crew] I got to see that they were perfect,” Osinski said of the crew’s flyover over the Terminator on the moon. A clear dividing line between the bright day side of the moon and the dark night side, where contrast increases and flashes are easier to spot.
Second, mission scientists are keen to investigate the crew’s description of the moon’s color. Geologists have so far received only a few brief impressions from the crew, primarily through audio communications available to the public. However, the Artemis II crew has recorded many more lunar flyby observations in their audio and notes archives, which will take several weeks to confirm.
The astronauts reported some interesting things, including green and brown spots on the moon’s surface.
“We know that the moon’s surface has color,” Osinski said. “That would definitely be interesting to track,” he added, because the human eye is more sensitive to color than the cameras on board Artemis II.
humanity in space
Mr. Osinski has been training the Artemis II crew in geology for many years. Hansen has repeatedly contributed to Osinski’s explorations of remote Canadian craters, often with Indigenous groups. During preparations for Artemis II, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency backup astronaut Jenny Gibbons joined Hansen and Osinski on a 2023 expedition to a moon-like crater in northern Labrador, Canada.
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Artemis II astronauts were not able to directly sample the lunar surface, so they were trained in how to interpret it. They also used “situational awareness” in some situations, such as distinguishing between volcanic and impact processes, but most of the interpretation requires months of work on Earth by geologists after the mission is complete.
But that’s not all the Artemis II astronauts have to offer. The astronauts are part of a group of fewer than 30 people who have observed the moon up close and personal, allowing them to bring human eyes and experience to the observations.
Additionally, Artemis II was the first lunar astronaut mission in nearly two generations, giving the astronauts (and the scientists supporting them) decades of insight into crater impacts, water ice, and other lunar features that were inaccessible to Apollo program officials. The images Artemis II has sent back to Earth so far represent only a portion of what’s on board. Osinski said he was particularly interested in seeing the high-resolution 400-millimeter (16-inch) lens images from the crew and comparing them with images taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Rover.
bring the moon home
After Artemis II returns, Osinsky and other geologists will apply what they learned from the astronauts’ observations to future lunar missions. Planning for the surface survey has been going on for two years, and the team is currently working on items such as narrowing down possible landing sites and announcing which scientists will participate.
Jacob Breacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist, told Live Science that the geology team is working on landing the first astronaut product on the surface and expects more data from commercial landing missions to support NASA. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost mission was the first to successfully land on the moon, completing a 60-day mission in 2025. “We’ve gotten quite a bit of data from them,” Breacher said, adding that more companies are expected to land by the time Artemis IV takes astronauts to the moon’s surface in 2028.
For now, geologists are already hard at work planning for the return of lunar samples.
Oshinsky is a co-investigator on the geology team supporting the Artemis 4 astronauts. Oshinsky said his team is working on a low-resolution live video feed that will likely allow geologists on Earth to assist astronauts in the field with their observations, at least to some extent.
That said, Artemis’ surface astronauts may have to make quick decisions about sampling, another training regimen, and will have to work independently, Osinski said.
“When they run out of time at a station, they may have to make ostensibly split-second decisions, you know, ‘Should I choose this or should I choose this?’ And they may not have time to interact with the science team regarding control,” Oshinsky said.
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