NASA Intensifies Lunar Training Ahead of Artemis III South Pole Landing

NASA teams at the Johnson Space Center in Houston are currently intensifying preparatory work for the Artemis III lunar landing, with a significant focus on refining surface operations training protocols within the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) throughout 2025. This rigorous underwater simulation is establishing the operational foundation for the moonwalks planned for the Artemis III mission, officially slated to launch no earlier than mid-2027, aiming to place the first woman and the next man on the Moon's South Pole.

The NBL, a facility within the Sonny Carter Training Facility, is one of the world's largest indoor pools, holding approximately 6.2 million gallons of water, and serves as the closest Earth analog for simulating the Moon's one-sixth gravity environment. Astronauts are engaged in detailed simulations utilizing demonstration spacesuits, specifically the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), developed by commercial partner Axiom Space. During these multi-hour underwater evaluations, crewmembers are practicing crucial tasks such as the collection of lunar regolith samples, close inspection of the Human Landing System, and the symbolic planting of the American flag in a submerged setting.

These evaluations are critical for gauging the performance of the AxEMU's communications, breathing, and cooling systems, as confirmed by initial crew tests conducted by Axiom Space astronaut and Chief Technology Officer, Koichi Wakata, in May 2025. Furthermore, NASA and Axiom Space teams completed the first-ever dual-suit run of two fully integrated AxEMU units in September 2025, with astronauts Loral O'Hara and Stan Love working side-by-side to mimic actual lunar fieldwork, marking a key milestone for operational readiness.

The data gathered from these intensive tests directly informs future mission planning, specifically determining the optimal number, duration, and excursion distance for spacewalks away from the lander, a key consideration distinct from prior experience. This specialized surface training represents a significant divergence from NASA's extensive history of International Space Station (ISS) microgravity spacewalk training, which has been the primary focus for the past two decades. The current efforts are also working through the complexities of conducting Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) under lighting conditions different from those encountered during the Apollo era missions, which concluded in December 1972.

The Artemis III mission will utilize SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to descend to the lunar South Pole and aims to spend about 6.5 days on the surface, with two astronauts performing up to four planned spacewalks. Axiom Space has accumulated over 800 hours of crewed pressurized time in the AxEMU and is working toward a Critical Design Review (CDR) later this year, ensuring the next-generation suit, which features expanded mobility and upgraded life support, is ready for the mid-2027 launch target. The integration of commercial hardware, such as the AxEMU, and international partners, including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for rover mockup testing, underscores the multi-faceted industrial and global approach to achieving the Artemis objectives.