NASA is inviting the public to join the agency’s Artemis II test flight as four astronauts venture around the Moon and back to test systems and hardware needed for deep space exploration. As part of the agency’s “Send Your Name with Artemis II” effort, anyone can claim their spot by signing up before Jan. 21, 2026.
Participants will launch their name aboard the Orion spacecraft and SLS (Space Launch System) rocket alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
“Artemis II is a key test flight in our effort to return humans to the Moon’s surface and build toward future missions to Mars, and it’s also an opportunity to inspire people across the globe and to give them an opportunity to follow along as we lead the way in human exploration deeper into space,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The collected names will be put on an SD card loaded aboard Orion before launch. In return, participants can download a boarding pass with their name on it as a collectable.
To add your name and receive an English-language boarding pass, visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/artemisnames
To add your name and receive a Spanish-language boarding pass, visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/TuNombreArtemis
The approximately 10-day Artemis II test flight, launching no later than April 2026, is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign. It is another step toward new U.S.-crewed missions on the Moon’s surface that will help the agency prepare to send the first astronauts – Americans – to Mars.
To learn more about the mission visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/
Lee este comunicado de prensa en español aquí.
NASA has a long history of including people’s names on missions, with examples including the Artemis II mission to the Moon, the Mars 2020 and InSight Mars missions, the Parker Solar Probe, and the Europa Clipper. These programs typically etch names onto a microchip or include them on a data drive that rides along with the spacecraft or rover, allowing people to participate in space exploration.
Some of those have included:
(Mission to Jupiter’s Moon): A microchip containing names was stenciled onto the spacecraft as it explored Jupiter’s moon Europa.
(Mars Rover): Names were collected and stenciled onto a microchip that was attached to the rover for its mission to Mars.
(Mars Lander): More than 2 million names flew on the InSight mission, stenciled onto a microchip that was carried aboard the spacecraft.
(Sun Probe): NASA invited the public to send their names to the Sun on this mission by etching them onto a microchip to be carried by the spacecraft.
