NASA Uses Rocky Mountain Helicopter Drills to Prepare Astronauts for Artemis Moon Missions

NASA has certified a new helicopter-based lander training course in Colorado's Rocky Mountains to mimic the visual and flight conditions of a Moon landing. Developed with the Colorado Army National Guard at the High-Altitude Aviation Training Site (HAATS) near Gypsum, the program is a key step in preparing crews for Artemis missions. Officials say the rugged terrain and high altitude create visual illusions like those on the lunar surface, marking a milestone as NASA works toward safely returning astronauts to the Moon and beyond.

Simulating Lunar Surface

According to NASA, crews are subjected to the same type of obscured visibility that is typical on the Moon during high-elevation flights at HAATS. The course tests pilots' vision using blowing dust and snow:

Similar to lunar dust, NASA observes that "dusty conditions can cause visual obstruction." In one exercise, a large CH-47 Chinook helicopter made a sharp landing to simulate the slope of a lunar crater. Teams of astronauts travel to more difficult locations with Army Guard instructor pilots, honing their collaboration and decision-making abilities in terrain that demands accuracy.

Crew Flight Training

In August 2025, NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Matthew Dominick took turns flying helicopters to remote mountain landing zones during a two-week certification exercise. Each flight included NASA trainers, mission controllers and lunar-lander experts observing and coaching. As NASA's Paul Felker explains, crews must “identify hazards, overcome degraded visual environments, and evaluate risks to successfully land” under stress.

The course – developed since 2021, has now trained over two dozen astronauts (and one ESA astronaut) in these techniques for Artemis lunar missions. NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock calls the exercise an “amazing simulation” of the problem-solving and piloting challenges that Artemis III crews will face on the Moon.