NASA selects 34 global volunteers to track Orion spacecraft during Artemis II mission.
As part of its ambitious plans to return humans to the Moon and eventually send them to Mars, NASA has selected a group of 34 global volunteers to participate in tracking the Orion spacecraft during its upcoming Artemis II mission. The mission, which is set to launch later this year, will see the Orion spacecraft carrying a crew of four astronauts on a journey around the Moon.
The volunteers, who come from a range of backgrounds and organizations including established commercial service providers, academic institutions, and individual amateur radio enthusiasts, have been selected to track the Orion spacecraft using their own equipment. This is a key step in NASA's efforts to build a resilient and public-private ecosystem that will support future space exploration missions.
The tracking data collected by these volunteers will be submitted to NASA for analysis, helping the agency to better assess the broader aerospace community's tracking capabilities and identify ways to augment future mission support. The initiative builds on a previous effort in which 10 volunteers successfully tracked the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I in 2022, and is designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program.
According to Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for SCaN at NASA Headquarters, the Artemis II tracking opportunity is an important step towards the agency's commercial-first vision. "By inviting external organizations to demonstrate their capabilities during a human spaceflight mission, we're strengthening the marketplace we'll rely on as we explore farther into the solar system," he said.
The selected volunteers will come from countries including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and others, and will use equipment such as radio transceivers and tracking software to track the Orion spacecraft. The tracking data will be used to help NASA identify ways to improve its spaceflight systems and ensure that future missions are successful.
Artemis II is a critical step in NASA's plans for lunar exploration and beyond. The mission will see the Orion spacecraft carrying astronauts on a journey around the Moon, with the ultimate goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.
As part of its ambitious plans to return humans to the Moon and eventually send them to Mars, NASA has selected a group of 34 global volunteers to participate in tracking the Orion spacecraft during its upcoming Artemis II mission. The mission, which is set to launch later this year, will see the Orion spacecraft carrying a crew of four astronauts on a journey around the Moon.
The volunteers, who come from a range of backgrounds and organizations including established commercial service providers, academic institutions, and individual amateur radio enthusiasts, have been selected to track the Orion spacecraft using their own equipment. This is a key step in NASA's efforts to build a resilient and public-private ecosystem that will support future space exploration missions.
The tracking data collected by these volunteers will be submitted to NASA for analysis, helping the agency to better assess the broader aerospace community's tracking capabilities and identify ways to augment future mission support. The initiative builds on a previous effort in which 10 volunteers successfully tracked the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I in 2022, and is designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program.
According to Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for SCaN at NASA Headquarters, the Artemis II tracking opportunity is an important step towards the agency's commercial-first vision. "By inviting external organizations to demonstrate their capabilities during a human spaceflight mission, we're strengthening the marketplace we'll rely on as we explore farther into the solar system," he said.
The selected volunteers will come from countries including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and others, and will use equipment such as radio transceivers and tracking software to track the Orion spacecraft. The tracking data will be used to help NASA identify ways to improve its spaceflight systems and ensure that future missions are successful.
Artemis II is a critical step in NASA's plans for lunar exploration and beyond. The mission will see the Orion spacecraft carrying astronauts on a journey around the Moon, with the ultimate goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.
I'm stoked that NASA is giving these global volunteers a chance to be part of something historic! Tracking the Orion spacecraft during Artemis II is gonna require some serious skills and dedication, but it's awesome that they're letting others show off their expertise 
. It's like a big experiment to see how the space community can come together and support each other in space exploration 
. And who knows, maybe one of these amateur radio enthusiasts will stumble upon something game-changing for future missions 
. Fingers crossed that this initiative leads to some amazing discoveries! 
It's like, people are not just just enthusiasts, they're contributing to actual NASA missions! 
Still, I guess it's cool that people from all over the world are getting a shot at participating in this. Maybe some of them'll even catch a glimpse of the spacecraft and get some sick pics 
. The fact that NASA is trying to build a public-private ecosystem is definitely a step in the right direction though 
and maybe even score an invite to the exclusive astronaut party 
. but seriously, who wouldn't wanna track a spacecraft around the moon? sounds like an epic gaming session... minus the pesky asteroid threats 
.
my friend from canada is applying and i'm so hyped for her 
I think this is super cool that NASA is giving people from all over the world a chance to track their own space mission 
! It's like a big experiment to see how we can work together and share our tech expertise 
. And who knows, maybe one of the volunteers will stumble upon something new that NASA didn't even think of 
! It's also awesome that we're getting to see the 'behind-the-scenes' of space exploration 
. They're not just tracking some space junk, they're helping NASA build a better future for humanity in space! It's like, what if we could bring that same sense of community and collaboration back to Earth? Imagine people working together towards a common goal, using their unique skills and talents to make it happen 
. The sky's not the limit, it's just the beginning 
they gotta have some mad skills to keep up with NASA's tech 
It's awesome that NASA is giving these 34 volunteers a chance to be part of something huge. I'm guessing it's gonna be a real challenge, tracking that thing with just their own equipment. And who knows, maybe one of them will come up with a game changing idea for space communication or navigation.
. So when it comes to NASA's latest move with these 34 global volunteers tracking Orion spacecraft during Artemis II, I gotta say - that's pretty cool! They're gonna be using their own equipment to track the spacecraft and submit the data to NASA for analysis. It's a big step in building that public-private ecosystem they're all about. I mean, who wouldn't want to be part of something that could potentially make space travel more accessible? The fact that it's not just limited to established service providers or academic institutions is awesome - it shows that even individual amateur radio enthusiasts can contribute to the mission. And let's be real, it's gonna be lit (pun intended) when they're tracking the spacecraft around the Moon! 
! This initiative shows that they value public-private partnerships and want to build a strong community of people who can support their missions 
. The fact that the selected volunteers come from different backgrounds and organizations is a testament to how space exploration can bring people together 
. Now we just have to imagine what kind of insights these tracking data will provide NASA 
!
the fact that NASA is encouraging public-private partnerships is a major win for us space enthusiasts