As the U.S. marks 250 years of independence in 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission will carry historic artefacts to lunar orbit. Items from early aviation, Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and international partners will fly aboard Orion, symbolising humanity’s journey into space.
NASA Artemis II carries historic artefacts to Moon, marking America’s 250th independence anniversary
Photo Credit: NASA/Brandon Hancock
When the US celebrates its 250th Anniversary of Independence in 2026, NASA's Artemis II will take historical tokens to the Moon. An official flight kit of the Orion spacecraft comprises tokens of its history: from the fabric of the Wright Flyer to the flags of the Apollo missions conducted during the exploration of the Moon. These tokens are chosen by NASA and its global associations and will travel into space as part of the world's first crewed Artemis mission.
According to reports, NASA's team selected items from U.S. aviation and space history for Artemis II's flight kit. A 1903 Wright Flyer muslin swatch, on loan from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, will fly aboard Orion. A U.S. flag that flew on the first and final Space Shuttle missions and a symbolic Apollo 18 mission flag will also ride to lunar orbit. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory provided a 4-by-5-inch photo negative from Ranger 7, the first U.S. spacecraft to successfully reach the Moon's surface.
Apart from the American historical artefacts, the flight package of Artemis II has contributions from international collaborators and campaigns. Soil from “Moon Trees” planted from seeds of Artemis I flown to NASA centers grows “Moon Trees.” This soil will be included in the flight package of Artemis II. Seeds from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are also included in the flight package. Mission patches, pins, and flags from both CSA and ESA are included as well. NASA included an SD card containing the names of individuals from its “Send Your Name” campaign as symbolic involvement. These add a total weight of 10 pounds to the flight package.
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