NASA Astronauts Practice 'Moonwalk' in Arizona Desert for Artemis III Lunar Mission
Discover how NASA astronauts are preparing for the Artemis III mission with simulated 'moonwalks' in Arizona's desert terrain. Explore the mission's goals and technological innovations set to redefine lunar exploration.
Arizona’s desert was turned into the training territory for NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas, who ran around for a few “moonwalks” to get ready for the upcoming Artemis III mission. Scheduled for lift-off in September 2026, Artemis III will be NASA’s mission back to the Moon’s surface with an emphasis on near-South Pole region exploration.
The site was chosen because it is geologically similar to the surface of the moon, especially where it was created by millions of years of volcanic activity— the San Francisco Volcanic Field in northern Arizona. The region imitates the Moon’s area named Marius Hills. It is for this reason that these simulations conducted on Earth are critical for astronauts to get used to move around on and make scientific observations in a terrain similar to that they would find on the moon.
Artemis III Mission Objectives
Two astronauts from Gateway will land on the Moon’s surface during Artemis III. They will acquire in-depth observations of the region of the moon’s South Pole, undertake geological surveys, and collect samples with proper documentation in both photos and videos. These missions will enhance human understanding of lunar geology and possible resources for future missions to a potentially sustainable presence on the Moon.
Technological Innovations and Challenges
For Artemis III, NASA is already testing new technologies like augmented reality tools and lighting beacons that will help future astronauts to navigate and perform experiments on the lunar surface. Despite challenges in the simulation test environments such as strong desert winds, the simulations offer them a chance for mission protocol and equipment testing, development, and reworking.
Mission Overview
Artemis III will get to the Moon and back using the NASA spacecraft Orion, pushing developments in the field of space travel and lunar exploration. This is going to be quite an achievement in the field of space exploration, with its reappearance on the Moon’s surface more than five decades later.
As NASA presses on toward Artemis III, these simulated “moonwalks” further demonstrate the space agency’s careful planning and preparedness for exploration. The knowledge gained in such training is an extremely vital success factor of the mission as this will ensure the astronauts are set for this milestone accomplishment of groundbreaking scientific research and exploration on the surface of the moon.