Artemis II: Inside Orion – How Astronauts Will Live & Work on Lunar Trip

After more than half a century, humans are poised to return to the vicinity of the Moon, with a planned mission launch no earlier than March 2026. The Artemis II mission, utilizing the Orion spacecraft, will carry a crew of four – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch (all NASA astronauts), and Jeremy Hansen (from the Canadian Space Agency) – on a journey around the lunar satellite.

For approximately ten days, the crew will call Orion home during their 1.1 million kilometer voyage. They will live and work within the spacecraft’s crew module, while the service module provides the essential resources for survival, including breathable air (nitrogen and oxygen) and potable water. This mission marks the first time astronauts will fly aboard Orion, and a key objective is to test the spacecraft’s life support systems in the environment of deep space. The crew’s feedback will be invaluable in refining these systems for future Artemis missions aimed at establishing a sustained presence on the Moon.

Living Space and Habitability

The Orion cabin offers a habitable volume of 9.34 cubic meters, providing the crew with roughly the same living space as two minivans. To maximize space during the flight, the crew will stow the footrests of Commander Wiseman and Pilot Glover’s seats. This represents a significant improvement over the Apollo command module, which had a habitable volume of only 5.95 cubic meters.

Nutrition in Space

Maintaining adequate nutrition during a ten-day spaceflight requires careful planning. Food scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston collaborated with the Artemis II crew to pre-select their meals. While the menu won’t offer the daily variety available to astronauts on the International Space Station, it will be tailored to each crew member’s preferences and nutritional needs. The Orion spacecraft is equipped with a water dispenser and heater to rehydrate and warm food, and dedicated meal times will be incorporated into the mission schedule.

Maintaining Physical Fitness

The absence of gravity poses a significant challenge to astronaut health, leading to muscle and bone loss. To mitigate these effects, each crew member will dedicate 30 minutes each day to exercise. Orion is equipped with a flywheel, a compact exercise device designed for the constraints of space travel. This cable-based system provides both aerobic and resistance training, simulating exercises like rowing, squats, and deadlifts. The flywheel can apply a resistance of up to approximately 180 kilograms, returning as much force as the astronaut exerts. In contrast to the extensive exercise equipment on the International Space Station – which collectively weighs over 1,800 kilograms and occupies about 24 cubic meters – the flywheel weighs only 13.6 kilograms and is comparable in size to a carry-on suitcase.

Hygiene and Waste Management

Maintaining personal hygiene in space requires innovative solutions. The Orion spacecraft includes a dedicated hygiene area with doors for privacy, a toilet, and space for personal hygiene kits. Astronauts will use liquid soap, water, and leave-in shampoo to stay clean, as traditional showers are not feasible in a microgravity environment.

Orion is equipped with NASA’s Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), a toilet designed to be 65% smaller and 40% lighter than previous models. The UWMS utilizes suction to collect waste, and features an improved design for comfort and usability for both male and female crew members. Urine will be vented overboard, while solid waste will be stored for disposal upon return to Earth. As a contingency, the crew will have access to folding urinals – available in two styles to accommodate both genders – capable of holding approximately one liter of urine each. These urinals connect to the spacecraft’s ventilation system for disposal. Should the UWMS system experience a complete failure, the toilet can still be used for solid waste collection, though without the assistance of the airflow system.

Medical Support

The Orion spacecraft will carry a comprehensive medical kit to address minor medical needs during the mission. This kit includes basic first aid supplies, as well as diagnostic tools such as a stethoscope and an electrocardiogram, allowing the crew to transmit data to flight surgeons on the ground. Regular private medical conferences will be scheduled between the crew and mission control’s flight surgeons to monitor their health and well-being.

Rest and Communication

Despite a demanding mission schedule, the Artemis II crew will be allocated eight hours of dedicated sleep time each day. For the majority of the mission, all four crew members will sleep simultaneously, securing themselves in sleeping bags attached to the walls of the Orion capsule. Communication with mission control, flight doctors, and family will be facilitated through handheld microphones and speakers, as well as headphones. The crew will also have access to tablets and laptops for reviewing procedures and accessing pre-loaded entertainment.

The Artemis II mission represents a crucial step in verifying the functionality of all Orion systems with a crew onboard in a deep space environment. The data and experience gained will pave the way for future missions to the lunar surface, establishing long-term scientific exploration capabilities, and inspiring a new generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation.