NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas force a puppet cart load with lunar tools through the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff , Arizona , as they practice moonwalking operations for Artemis III.NASA / Josh Valcarcel
Being an astronaut may voice glamorous , but it is n’t all roquette launch and be adrift around the International Space Station . The vast bulk of the metre is spent in breeding with your foot planted on terra firma .
Take NASA spaceman Kate Rubins . reliable , she knows what it ’s like to hurtle toward infinite inside a tiny abridgement and live in microgravity conditions aboard an orbital outpost 250 miles above Earth . She also have it away what it ’s like to dress up in a mock cosmonaut suit and fight a tool pushcart full of lunar tools through a field — because that ’s on the dot what she ’s been doing as part of preparations for the Artemis III mission that will return NASA astronauts to the lunar open after a five - X abatement .
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas push a tool cart loaded with lunar tools through the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff, Arizona, as they practice moonwalking operations for Artemis III.NASA/Josh Valcarcel
And while Rubins and colleague Andre Douglas may see as if they ’re heading home from a really angry costume party , this is actually serious stuff .
NASA has yet to choose the two astronaut who willstep onto the lunar surface in 2026as part of the highly anticipated Artemis III missionary station , so for now it ’s using a number of astronauts to quiz equipment and engineering demonstrations that could be used in the missionary work .
In this case , Rubins , who has been to blank space twice up to now , and Douglas , who only late qualified as an astronaut and has yet to go to celestial orbit , expend a workweek at the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff , Arizona , practicing moonwalking operations for Artemis III .
During the tests , two incorporate squad are working together to practice remainder - to - remainder lunar operations , NASA aver . The field of operation squad in the Arizona desert comprises astronauts , NASA applied scientist , and field experts , while a team of flying controllers and scientists at NASA ’s Johnson Space Center in Houston monitors and guides their activities .
A range of engineering science are being test to shape if they will be utile for the upcoming moon missionary post . They let in a heading - up display using augmented reality and kindling beacons that could help the crew voyage their means back to the lander during an expedition at the lunar South Pole .
“ domain tests play a decisive role in helping us test all of the systems , computer hardware , and technology we ’ll call for to lead successful lunar operations during Artemis charge , ” said Barbara Janoiko , theater director for the field test at Johnson Space Center . “ Our engineering and science teams have worked together seamlessly to insure we are prepared every footfall of the agency for when astronauts maltreat groundwork on the moon again . ”
The Arizona desert has been a preparation ground for lunar exploration since the Apollo era , as it has some similarities to the lunar terrain , include craters , faults , and volcanic feature .
