NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts Will Double as Test Subjects for Deep Space Health Research

NASA's Artemis II mission will take astronauts beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in over 50 years, but it is no simple systems test. The crew will be essentially two-fers, serving both as researchers and volunteer test subjects taking part in experiments aimed at learning how to keep humans healthy during an extended sojourn into deep space. The results would inform NASA's mission preparations as it looks ahead to go on long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, providing countermeasures to protect astronauts' health even years into an extended deep space mission.

Artemis II Science Package to Unlock Insights on Human Health and Lunar Exploration

According to NASA reports, there are seven primary areas of research, and make no mistake, science on Artemis II will cover seven key "buckets" that span from radiation monitoring to observing the Moon.
Other research, such as the ARCHeR investigation, will look at sleep, cognition, stress, and teamwork during deep space missions, while the AVATAR study is investigating how bone marrow produces blood cells (which influences fracture healing) and radiation's effects on which people need corresponding organ-on-chip technology.

Immune biomarker sampling will provide ongoing observation of stress-related immune responses, and standard measures will be used to assess nutrition, balance, and cardiovascular health. Taken together, the studies should define what makes it possible for the human body to adapt to longer stays at lunar distances.

Astronauts will conduct radiation sensor experiments, lunar surface observation, and test CubeSat deployment for Artemis II, NASA's second mission with humans to the Moon that will advance exploration – aiding in the development of technology, health, and medical processes.