800 GB of Artemis II images and notes land online for researchers

The archive covers the mission flown from April 1 to 10 this year, when four astronauts flew the Orion capsule around the moon and back. Among the highlights:

• 11,000 full-resolution images and videos
• 8.5 hours of the crew’s spoken observations
• handwritten notes and photos the astronauts annotated themselves
• mission transcripts and images from Orion’s onboard cameras
• video of the crew’s tense return to Earth

NASA calls it the first planetary science data set gathered beyond Earth, mostly by people rather than robots, in more than half a century. The only real comparison is the Apollo era.

Three reports come with the files: the Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science Report, the Lunar Science Operations Report and the Lunar Science Data User Guide. Together they explain what the crew observed, how the science was run and how to make sense of the raw files.

The clearest result so far is those five meteoroid impacts. Each flash came from a different spot on the far side while it sat in darkness.

From how bright and brief the flashes were, scientists estimate each space rock weighed about 8.5 grams, roughly the weight of a couple of dice. That sounds harmless, but they were traveling at tens of kilometers per second. At that speed, a direct hit could kill an astronaut or wreck a rover.

Because the crew flew outside any major yearly meteor shower, the five impacts in under an hour likely show the normal background rate. Using that, NASA estimated about a one-in-10,000 chance per decade that a similar impact hits a future moon base. Jen Heldmann of the Artemis II lunar science team summed it up by saying future crews are probably safe.

The photos also show that the moon is not just gray. Its surface is dappled with greens, yellows, grays and browns, and NASA’s analysis links each shade to a different kind of ancient volcanic activity, from glassy lava to rubbly ash-like deposits.

The astronauts captured wrinkle ridges in Oceanus Procellarum, the vast lava plain known as the Ocean of Storms. These ridges form when the weight of old lava pushes down on the crust until it cracks and shrinks. Team members were impressed that the crew could spot them from orbit.

One expected sight never appeared. Apollo crews in the 1960s and 1970s sometimes reported a glowing haze of moon dust drifting above the surface. The Artemis II crew saw none, which suggests that effect comes and goes rather than being constant. That is good news, because lunar dust is sharp and sticky and wears out suits, wires and machines.

There are two ways in, depending on how technical you want to get.

1. The easy route: NASA’s Artemis II science page lets you download the three reports, view a selection of photos and listen to the mission’s audio library.
2. The full archive: the Planetary Data System, NASA’s public store for planetary mission data, has every file with its metadata. Go to the moon section, select Artemis II and browse the collections.

For space fans, the mission transcripts and the photos marked up by the astronauts are the most approachable place to start. The raw files are mainly meant for researchers such as planetary geologists, engineers, sun scientists and impact specialists.

The crew’s brief pass around the moon lasted just under seven hours, but it covered a wide stretch of the far side. Photos taken near the terminator, the line between lunar day and night, show how terrain and visibility change when the sun sits very low.

Those conditions will be normal near the moon’s south pole, where NASA plans its next landings and a small base. The images can help future crews prepare for tricky lighting, navigation and landing-site choices. Marie Henderson, Artemis II’s deputy lunar science lead, said the findings will help shape how future Artemis missions are designed.

Not everything in the reports is a big surprise, and some scientists note that the moon’s real secrets will need closer, on-the-ground study. In late September, NASA also picked three new science instruments for upcoming landings, including one to watch for small meteor strikes and other hazards.