Editor’s note: This release was updated on March 31, 2026, to provide an updated image, quote, and contact information ahead of the Artemis II launch.
NASA has selected National Geographic to help tell the story of Artemis II, the first Artemis flight that will carry astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth aboard the agency’s Orion spacecraft.
Following a competitive selection process, NASA and National Geographic entered into a non-reimbursable (no-exchange-of-funds) Space Act Agreement to collaborate on compact, lightweight audiovisual hardware to fly inside Orion and related support for the project.
“Our astronauts will capture incredible images as they journey around the Moon inside the Orion spacecraft. We want to share these moments in as many ways as possible and bring as many people along for the ride as we can,” said Howard Hu, program manager, Orion Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Our team has been working toward the Artemis II mission and this moment with all of humanity in mind. Partnerships like this one help us share this endeavor globally.”
National Geographic plans to leverage its portfolio of media assets, including magazines, social and digital content, and television programming, for engagement opportunities. Those would include capabilities for creating an immersive experience aboard Orion to share the story of human exploration of the Moon.
In November 2020, NASA called for proposals to collaborate on unique public engagement, starting with Artemis II. National Geographic media company responded with a proposal to use content captured during the mission to create a multi-platform story-telling campaign aimed at a global audience.
Artemis mission activities will include Artemis I, an uncrewed flight test that will launch Orion on the NASA’s Space Launch System rocket to orbit the Moon and return to Earth. Artemis II will carry a crew aboard Orion, paving the way for future missions to send the first woman and first person of color to the surface of the Moon. Subsequent missions will explore more of the Moon and test the technologies and procedures needed for human exploration of Mars.
Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program at:
-end-
Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov