Have you ever wanted to cross “armchair spacecraft-tracking” off your bucket list of Good Samaritan deeds? Thanks to NASA’s Artemis campaign, you could be one step closer to rocking that cosmonaut suit buried somewhere in the basement.
In just a few months, the Orion spacecraft, which has been in development since 2004, is heading for the Moon once more, an objective officially titled “Artemis II.” Once the vessel enters our lunar pal’s trajectory, a crew of four will complete a single deep-space loop around Earth’s celestial cohort. And if you happen to own and operate a Doppler tracking system, NASA would like to hear from you.
Opportunities like this don’t come around very often, so if you want to rock an “I Assisted NASA” bumper sticker on your Corolla, it’s time to blow the dust off your fancy gadgets. The beautiful Moon calls to us, and so we must go.
How you can help track the Artemis II mission
This isn’t the first time NASA has put out a casting call for on-the-ground spacecraft trackers: This same volunteer initiative was rolled out for the first leg of the Artemis campaign, in which 10 participants used ground-based Doppler antennas to pinpoint and study fluctuations in Orion’s radio waves.
At this point, Orion is scheduled to embark on the Artemis II mission no later than April 2026, and those interested in volunteering have until October 27, 2025, to apply. NASA provides a line-item breakdown of precisely what it’s looking for from participants, which can be found here.
We’ve also put together a TL;DR version: You’re required to provide one-way Doppler data at no cost to either NASA or the U.S. government. You’ll also need to provide a detailed description of your RF-tracking rig, including part numbers and performance characteristics. NASA will also want to see a documented track record of the interested parties’ previous spacecraft-tracking exercises.
If you can check all those boxes (plus a few more), you’ll need to submit a volunteer application via email with requested materials taking up no more than five pages, using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or PDF. Use single space, 12-point, Times New Roman font, and submit using the following file-naming format: Artemis II Tracking_RFI_[insert company name].doc. Points of contact are Marta Shelton at [email protected], and Antwan G. Reid at [email protected].
We human beings haven’t been lunar-bound in a minute. The last time astronauts manned a spacecraft to the Moon was in 1972, as part of the Apollo program. While the Artemis I mission (completed in 2022) was pivotal in testing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the first leg of the quest featured zero astronauts on board.
Why does the Artemis II mission matter?
In terms of Artemis II and beyond, NASA is leaning on its Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Program to deliver measurable results, and Earth-bound methodologies are just as integral as NASA’s higher-level tracking tools. Kevin Coggins, the Deputy Associate Administrator for SCaN, says it best: “This data will help inform our transition to a commercial-first approach, ultimately strengthening the infrastructure needed to support long-term Moon to Mars objectives” (via NASA).
The main objective of the Artemis II mission is to keep tabs on all the vital systems of Orion, but now, with a crew of four along for the 10-day excursion to the lunar orbit. This includes navigation tools, communication channels, and life-support technology, all of which are critical in getting the go-ahead for the next phase of the Artemis mission: putting people on the surface of the Moon again.
According to NASA, getting astronauts back on the moon is but a single stepping stone on the journey to fully-crewed voyages to Mars. Once humanity reaches the red planet, scientists can set to work studying our cosmic cousin for signs of life, both past and present. Learning about the geological history of Mars can also teach us more about what to expect for Earth down the line.
Space exploration has always been a fascinating call-to-arms for international scientists, researchers, and educators, and it’s a unique type of human ingenuity with exciting and encouraging optics. After all, wouldn’t knowing that we’ve been able to establish a colony on Mars inspire you to go and do something amazing, even if you’re not an astronaut?
