NASA Moon Crew Activity

Introduction

NASA will launch the Artemis II mission this year, sending four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon. The test flight will expand our presence in deep space, set the stage for future lunar surface missions, and gain knowledge we need to send humans to Mars.

Choosing a crew for missions to the Moon requires the right mix of skills and attributes. All four astronauts not only bring different strengths and expertise to the mission, but they also must work well together in high-pressure situations.

Over the course of about ten days, four astronauts will travel approximately 685,000 miles from Earth, venture around the Moon, and return home. The flight will—for the first time with astronauts—test NASA’s human deep space exploration capabilities, including the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems, SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, and Orion spacecraft.

Grade Range: Grades 5-8

Time Needed: Approximately 60 Minutes

Materials List

Ensure that students have: 

• • • Pen or pencil
    • Paper
    • Supplies for a gallery wall
    • Infographic

Activity Procedure

Provide background on the Artemis II mission.

Play the Moonbound video for the class.

Lead a group discussion:

• • What kind of jobs/roles do you think a mission like this would need?
  • What sort of skills would be helpful for an astronaut on this mission?
  • What sort of training or experience would best prepare an astronaut for this mission?
  • How would you find solutions to problems that arise in space?

Explain the four different roles of the Artemis II crew.

Share infographic with the following information with the class, either in handout form or projecting onto a screen.

Classroom Activity

Break the class into four different groups (commander, pilot, mission specialist I, and mission specialist II).

1. 1. Give each group a “gallery wall” to discuss and write ideas about how different personality traits, leadership styles, and skills adhere themselves well to different roles. After 5-10 minutes, ask the groups to present to the rest of the class. View the infographic examples to get you started.
   2. Bring the four groups back together and assemble the class. Now that the students have learned about the different roles of the Artemis II astronauts, they can work individually or in pairs to discuss and write ideas about their dream team. If they were flying around the Moon, who would they bring along? Which roles would they fill and why? What would they name their spacecraft? (The Artemis II crew named their spacecraft “Integrity”!)
   3. Students are encouraged to think outside the box — they can choose family members, pets, celebrities, historical figures, sports players, etc. Just as long as they can explain why someone would be a good fit for a certain role.

Conclude the activity by submitting your students’ dream team to our #NASAMoonCrew campaign.

Post your chosen crew members to your preferred social media platform with the hashtag #NASAMoonCrew. Contributions could include anything that provides a description or representation of the participant’s chosen crew.

If a #NASAMoonCrew post catches our attention, we may share your post on our NASA social media accounts or during the Artemis II mission coverage. Terms and guidelines here.

Explore More Resources

Life Inside Orion
Artemis II Mission Animation
Learn with Artemis
Artemis II Crew
Artemis II: Observe the Moon Like an Astronaut