Artemis Astronauts Fly Helicopters in the Rockies

Instructional course will simulate the conditions of landing at the moon’s south pole.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 02:35 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

NASA astronaut Raja Chani flies in a U.S. Army National Guard helicopter to refine a simulated lunar landing training course. [Courtesy: NASA/Corinne Beckinger]

Key Takeaways:

NASA is finalizing a high-altitude helicopter training course with the U.S. Army National Guard in Colorado for Artemis III astronauts, simulating the challenging conditions of a lunar landing.
This foundational training prepares astronauts for the treacherous lunar south pole, addressing issues like difficult terrain, visual illusions from shadows and exosphere glow, and obscured vision due to lunar dust.
The Artemis III mission, now scheduled for mid-2027, faces ongoing preparations and challenges, including the development of next-generation spacesuits and SpaceX's Starship human landing system.

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NASA’s first lunar landing since the Apollo era and debut mission to the moon’s south pole will begin in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

The space agency on Monday said it is close to finalizing a training course for the Artemis III lunar landing, scheduled for mid-2027, with the U.S. Army National Guard. Astronauts will fly military helicopters over the mountaintops and valleys of the Rockies to simulate the conditions they may face when approaching the moon’s surface.