Here's how you can send your name around the moon on NASA's Artemis II mission
Calling all space and science lovers! NASA is sending names around the moon again, this time for its Artemis II mission.
The upcoming voyage, eyed for a February launch, will fly four astronauts to the moon and back to test systems and hardware in a 10-day journey, as per the company.
With NASA's "Send Your Name with Artemis II" effort, your name—along with other passengers who sent theirs—will be put on an SD card loaded aboard the Orion spacecraft. In return, you'll receive a boarding pass with your name on it as a collectible.
Anyone can claim a spot. Just make sure to sign up before Jan. 21 to get your name on board.
For the mission, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will be the first humans onboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion. NASA said that this 2026 mission is a step toward crewed missions to the moon and part of its efforts to prepare for future journeys to Mars.
“Artemis II is a key test flight in our effort to return humans to the Moon’s surface and build toward future missions to Mars, and it’s also an opportunity to inspire people across the globe and to give them an opportunity to follow along as we lead the way in human exploration deeper into space,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
You can submit your name and get a boarding pass here. All you'll need is to enter your first and last name and a four- to seven-digit pin code.
On Jan. 17, NASA rolled out its SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft in preparations for its first crewed mission to the moon in 50 years. This allows the space agency to begin a string of tests for the Artemis II mission, which could blast off as early as Feb. 6.
NASA had previously launched similar "send your name" efforts as part of its missions. In February 2024, the agency invited everyone to send their names to the moon via the VIPER rover. (with reports from AFP)