Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Recently, NASA and the Department of Defense conducted Underway Recovery Test-12 (URT-12) aboard USS Somerset off the coast of California as part of the preparations for the upcoming Artemis II mission. This mission will be NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon under the Artemis program and will involve a 10-day journey around the Moon. The recovery operations for the Orion spacecraft and crew were practiced during the test, and the teams are now certified for the mission.
The process of recovering the spacecraft involves the capsule reentering Earth’s atmosphere and using its 11 parachutes to slow down and safely land in the Pacific Ocean. This direct approach allows NASA to control the time spent in high-temperature ranges. The recovery teams are also responsible for returning the spacecraft and its equipment to the amphibious transport dock.
During the training exercise, the astronauts donned their Orion Crew Survival System suits and practiced various recovery operations at sea using a stand-in for their spacecraft. This training allows the astronauts to gain experience in different scenarios and broaden their skillsets. It also helps prepare them for future roles and allows assigned mission astronauts to experience other roles.
Potential Future Trends and Predictions
Based on the current developments and preparations for the Artemis II mission, several potential future trends can be identified:
Increased Collaboration: The joint effort between NASA and the Department of Defense for the recovery operations highlights the importance of collaboration between different agencies and organizations. This trend is likely to continue in future space missions, as it allows for the sharing of expertise and resources.
Enhanced Training Programs: The comprehensive training programs conducted by NASA for the astronauts involved in the Artemis II mission demonstrate the importance of continuous training and preparation. As space exploration missions become more complex, it is essential to provide astronauts with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle different scenarios.
Advancements in Recovery Technologies: The development of precise recovery procedures, including the use of parachutes and specialized equipment, indicates a focus on improving the efficiency and safety of recovery operations. Future missions may see advancements in recovery technologies, leading to faster and more reliable recovery processes.
Expansion of Human Deep Space Exploration: The Artemis II mission aims to confirm the foundational systems and hardware required for human deep space exploration. This mission is an important step towards future missions on the lunar surface and human missions to Mars. As technology advances and more research is conducted, the possibility of human exploration in deep space becomes more feasible.
Recommendations for the Industry
Based on the potential future trends identified, the following recommendations can be made for the space industry:
Encourage Collaboration: Organizations involved in space exploration should prioritize collaboration and partnerships with other agencies, institutions, and private companies. By working together, they can pool resources, share expertise, and accelerate progress in space exploration.
Invest in Training Programs: Continued investment in comprehensive training programs for astronauts is crucial. These programs should cover a wide range of scenarios and ensure that astronauts are prepared for different roles and responsibilities during missions. This will help them adapt to unforeseen circumstances and improve overall mission success.
Promote Research and Development: The space industry should allocate resources towards research and development of new technologies and techniques for recovery operations. Advancements in recovery technologies will not only enhance safety but also enable faster and more efficient processes.
Support Deep Space Exploration: Efforts should be made to support and fund missions that aim to explore deep space. These missions play a vital role in expanding human knowledge and understanding of the universe. Continued support will encourage further advancements in space exploration and pave the way for future missions to Mars and beyond.
In conclusion, the recent preparations for the Artemis II mission highlight the ongoing advancements and developments in the space industry. The collaboration between NASA and the Department of Defense, the emphasis on training programs, and the focus on improving recovery technologies indicate potential future trends in the industry. By encouraging collaboration, investing in training programs, promoting research and development, and supporting deep space exploration, the industry can continue to push the boundaries of human knowledge and exploration in space.
NASA and its primary contractor Amentum have made significant progress in their Artemis campaign with the recent completion of the Artemis II mission. This mission marks a crucial milestone in NASA’s efforts to explore the lunar surface and pave the way for future human missions to Mars.
The SLS Rocket and its Components
The centerpiece of the Artemis II mission is the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. It stands an impressive 212 feet tall and weighs approximately 219,000 pounds with its engines. This rocket is designed to support various components, including the launch vehicle stage adapter, interim cryogenic propulsion stage, Orion stage adapter, and the Orion spacecraft.
The core stage of the SLS rocket serves as the backbone, providing stability and support to the entire system. It is through this core stage that the stacked solid rocket boosters, crucial for the propulsion of the rocket, are joined.
Artemis II – A Crewed Test Flight
Artemis II, the first crewed test flight under the Artemis campaign, symbolizes NASA’s commitment to exploring the lunar surface. This mission aims to gather valuable information and insights required for future human missions to Mars.
By successfully completing Artemis II, NASA will demonstrate its ability to launch and fly a crewed mission beyond the Earth’s orbit, making significant strides towards achieving its overarching goals.
The Future Trends and Predictions
The completion of the Artemis II mission signifies a turning point in space exploration. It opens up possibilities for future trends in the industry, particularly in the following areas:
Advancements in Rocket Technologies: The success of the SLS rocket in the Artemis II mission will likely lead to further advancements in rocket technologies. NASA and its contractors will continue to refine and improve the design and capabilities of their launch systems, enabling more ambitious exploration missions.
Exploration of the Lunar Surface: With Artemis II paving the way, NASA’s focus on the lunar surface will intensify. Future missions will aim to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon, leveraging it as a testing ground for technologies and strategies essential for future Mars missions.
International Collaboration: As space exploration becomes more complex and costly, international collaboration will play a vital role. NASA will seek partnerships with other space agencies and countries to share the resources, knowledge, and expertise required for ambitious missions.
Technological Innovation: The Artemis II mission will drive significant technological innovation, from advancements in life support systems and spacecraft design to developing new materials that can withstand the harsh lunar environment. This innovation will not only benefit space exploration but also have spin-off applications in various industries on Earth.
Commercial Space Travel: The success of Artemis II will boost the commercial space travel industry. Private companies will have the opportunity to collaborate with NASA and other space agencies, contributing to the development of technologies and services that support space exploration missions.
Recommendations for the Industry
Based on the potential future trends in the space industry, here are a few recommendations for stakeholders:
Invest in Research and Development: Government agencies, private companies, and educational institutions should increase their investment in research and development to push the boundaries of space exploration technologies. This investment will accelerate innovation and open up new opportunities in the industry.
Promote Collaboration: Governments and space agencies should actively seek collaboration with international partners to share the costs, risks, and resources associated with ambitious exploration missions. Collaboration will foster knowledge sharing and lead to more successful and cost-effective missions in the future.
Encourage Public-Private Partnerships: Governments and space agencies can leverage public-private partnerships to spur innovation and accelerate the development of technologies required for space exploration. These partnerships can also drive investment in commercial space travel, creating a sustainable market for space-related products and services.
Support STEM Education: The space industry relies heavily on a skilled and diverse workforce. Governments and educational institutions should prioritize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to nurture the next generation of space scientists, engineers, and astronauts.
Promote Space Tourism: The success of Artemis II will generate public interest in space exploration. Governments and private companies should work together to promote space tourism and develop infrastructure to support this emerging industry. Space tourism can generate revenue and public support for future exploration missions.
Conclusion
The completion of the Artemis II mission signifies a bold step towards exploring the lunar surface and preparing for future human missions to Mars. This achievement opens up new possibilities for technological advancements, international collaboration, and the commercial space travel industry. By investing in research and development, promoting collaboration, and supporting STEM education, the space industry can harness the potential of these trends and shape the future of space exploration.
Image credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
References:
“NASA’s Artemis II Rocket Stacked with Boosters for Future Lunar Mission.” NASA, NASA, 30 Mar. 2025, www.nasa.gov/image-feature/nasas-artemis-ii-rocket-stacked-with-boosters-for-future-lunar-mission.
Foust, Jeff. “NASA Stacks Boosters for Artemis 2.” SpaceNews, SpaceNews, 25 Mar. 2025, spacenews.com/nasa-stacks-boosters-for-artemis-2/.
Brown, Katherine. “Artemis II: Mission to the Moon.” NASA, NASA, 27 Mar. 2025, www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis-ii-mission-to-the-moon.
The Potential Future Trends in Lunar Sample Curation
NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division (ARES) is responsible for curating the largest collection of extraterrestrial materials on Earth, including Apollo-era Moon rocks and microscopic cosmic dust particles. As the Artemis campaign sample curation lead, Dr. Juliane Gross is at the forefront of the efforts to add lunar samples from the Moon’s South Pole region to the collection. In this article, we will analyze the key points from the text and explore the potential future trends in lunar sample curation.
1. Importance of Lunar Sample Return
Lunar sample return missions play a crucial role in advancing our understanding of the Moon and its relationship with Earth. These samples provide scientists with valuable information about the Moon’s geology, history, and potential resources. By studying lunar samples, researchers can unravel the mysteries of the Moon’s formation, its impact on Earth, and its potential for future human exploration and colonization.
2. Collaboration between Different Teams
Dr. Juliane Gross emphasizes the importance of effective communication and collaboration between scientists, engineers, and program managers. The success of sample return missions depends on the coordination and integration of various teams responsible for different stages of the mission, including sample collection, handling, transport, and storage. As future lunar missions become more complex and involve multiple international partners, collaboration will be essential to ensure the safe and efficient return of lunar samples.
3. Advances in Sample Handling and Examination
Dr. Gross acknowledges that technology evolves, and our level of sophistication for handling and examining samples continually improves. As new technologies and analytical techniques emerge, future sample curation will benefit from enhanced capabilities in studying and analyzing lunar materials. These advancements may include non-destructive imaging techniques, isotopic analysis, and high-resolution microscopy, among others. Such innovations will enable scientists to extract even more valuable information from lunar samples and deepen our understanding of the Moon.
4. International Collaboration and Access to Samples
The Artemis sample return missions will offer opportunities for international collaboration in lunar research. After the preliminary examination of the returned samples, the ARES curation team will release a sample catalog, allowing scientists from around the world to request loans for their respective research. This global access to lunar samples will facilitate scientific collaboration and enable researchers to conduct a wide range of studies, from understanding lunar geology to investigating the potential for future human activities on the Moon.
5. The Role of Sample Repositories
Repositories like ARES play a crucial role in curating and preserving lunar samples for future generations. These samples represent priceless scientific assets, and their careful preservation is essential for ongoing and future research. Sample repositories will continue to evolve to meet the demands of sample curation, including the development of advanced storage and protection techniques. Additionally, the accessibility of lunar samples through online databases and virtual sample sharing platforms may improve, allowing researchers worldwide to access data without physical loan requests.
Predictions and Recommendations
Prediction 1: Increasing International Collaboration
In the future, we can expect a growing number of international collaborations in lunar sample curation and research. As more countries and organizations join lunar exploration initiatives, such as Artemis, the sharing of samples and scientific expertise will strengthen global efforts to unravel the mysteries of the Moon.
Prediction 2: Technological Advancements
The development of new technologies in sample handling and analysis will revolutionize lunar sample research. Advanced imaging methods, robotic sample manipulation, and remote sensing techniques may allow for more efficient and detailed examination of lunar materials, providing scientists with unprecedented insights into the Moon’s composition and history.
Prediction 3: Expansion of Sample Repositories
With the anticipated increase in lunar sample returns, sample repositories will likely expand their capabilities and storage capacities. The implementation of state-of-the-art facilities, such as climate-controlled environments and advanced contamination control systems, will ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of lunar samples for generations to come.
Recommendation: Public Outreach and Education
As the interest in lunar exploration grows, it is crucial to engage and educate the public about the importance of lunar sample curation and research. Outreach programs, public exhibitions, and educational initiatives can help inspire future generations of scientists and foster appreciation for the scientific value of lunar samples.
Recommendation: Collaboration between Scientific Disciplines
Given the diverse nature of lunar sample research, multidisciplinary collaboration will be crucial in addressing complex scientific questions. Encouraging collaboration between geologists, planetary scientists, chemists, biologists, and engineers will facilitate comprehensive and integrated studies of lunar samples, leading to a deeper understanding of the Moon and its significance for future exploration.
Conclusion
The future of lunar sample curation is promising, with advancements in technology, international collaboration, and the expansion of sample repositories. These developments will enable scientists to extract unprecedented information from lunar samples, enhancing our understanding of the Moon, Earth’s history, and the potential for future space exploration. As we embark on the Artemis campaign, Dr. Juliane Gross and her team’s dedication to the preservation and research of lunar samples will contribute significantly to the progress of lunar science.
Founded in London by Royal Charter in 1631, the Clockmakers’ Company began assembling its collection of clocks, watches, and extraordinary objects in 1814. The Clockmakers’ Museum includes works by many of the greatest names in horology from John Harrison to George Daniels. Since 2015, The Clockmakers’ Museum has been on display at the Science Museum.
The Clockmakers’ Museum at the Science Museum.
With many delicate timepieces in The Clockmakers’ Museum, the photography team worked with its Curator, Anna Rolls, and agreed that photography would take place on the gallery for pieces too large to be easily removed from display, and in our photography studio for pieces that required customised lighting setups and handling. We also agreed to photograph everything to a white background to match the existing images of timepieces in the Clockmakers’ Museum.
The project kicked off with the longcase clocks already on display in the gallery. The team had to find inventive solutions to a few challenges this posed: the gallery’s layout meant some clocks were close to each other, which made manoeuvring and setting-up equipment a challenge. Also there were many reflections from nearby objects – clocks and watches are often made up of highly reflective materials such as glass or metals – a challenge to be overcome. While post-processing (editing photographs after they have been taken) can solve many undesirable reflection issues, the team tried to compensate for these issues at the time while ensuring accurate images were still captured efficiently.
Most issues were resolved by combining several images into one final photograph. We used specialist camera lenses to bypass the challenged of other showcases nearby, and unwanted reflections and shadows were corrected with the use of white cards and translucent panels, as you can see below in the process of capturing the astronomical longcase clock by Roland Jarvis.
Roland Jarvis was an artist based in Hastings, England, who also had an interest in engineering, and took up clockmaking when he was in his forties. This complicated clock has a modern design whilst still retaining the proportions and elegance of a traditional clock. It also has a whole host of complications – features beyond basic time telling – like the time of sunrise and sunset, the position of the sun and moon relative to the zodiac, and even features a planetarium.
Finally, all images were carefully separated from the original setting in the post-production and placed on pure white background (see images below).
For the photography in our studio, we used the focus stacking technique, which means capturing multiple images with varying depths of field and combining them in a ‘stack’ for perfect front-to-back focus. As the team carried out this photography, we noticed a link between the object’s size and the number of images in a focus stack: the smaller the object was, the more photographs needed to be taken to achieve the perfect image – as many as 120 per watch!
Our final way of working consisted of several stages. The base lighting had to be a soft and even, particularly for highly reflective timepieces. The team used light tents and translucent panels (which you can see all around the photographer in the image below) to avoid reflections of the studio and equipment in use.
While soft lights were better for minimising shadows and reflections on the object, harder and more focused lights were introduced for accentuating details. We controlled flare and light spread to reach the level of light intensity needed for each photograph.
The shape and texture of the timepieces varied greatly. By adding an additional light directly from the side, we were able to emphasize the texture, especially on watches with engravings and fine relief. You can see this in the images below of this 17th century French watch: the first two (left and centre) show the difference between soft and side light with the final and the third image (right) showing the final result, when the two images were combined in post-production.
Watch in an octagonal silver case by Robert Grebauval.
Once the setup was fully customised, a sequence of images was taken in quick succession as seen in the image below. We then use specialist software to group all images of the same object (seen on the left screen) and process the images to achieve perfect focus throughout the image to bring out all the delicate details of this pocket watch.
The early 1600s saw a rise in the number of watches produced in Europe, like the one pictured above. As they were not the best timekeepers, so their design concentrated on form and decoration. This type of watch was hung from a cord, around the neck or tied to the waist, and could be octagonal or oval in shape. The technique of engraving was often used to decorate the dial and case. This involved the use of a sharp tool to cut grooves into the surface metal. These lines and grooves would catch the light differently to the top surface, allowing an image to appear. This makes it a beautiful object to look at in person – but particularly tricky to capture all the engraved surfaces on camera.
Once the final image was created, the background was carefully cut out and corrected to pure white, with about 40% of the original shadow recovered to visually ground each subject.
Working on this project has helped us change the procedures we use to capture photographs. We now have several thoroughly tested lighting setups for objects made from reflective materials, which lead to consistent high quality results. We also now use focus stacking as our standard practice when working with small objects.
You can see more of the new images we have captured on our website.
Visitors to the Clockmakers Museum can now try four new interactive clockwork mechanisms which show some of the many ways clockwork mechanisms can also create sound and make things move, using gears, cams and levers.
One of the world’s most valuable watches is also currently on display in Versailles: Science and Splendour. Named ‘Marie Antoinette’ after the queen who was meant to wear it, the No.160 watch by Abraham-Louis Breguet is made of exquisite precious materials and represents the pinnacle of artistic ingenuity and intricate engineering. This stunning watch is on display until Monday 21 April. Book tickets here.
In recent years, the [industry] has experienced significant advancements and shifts in technology, consumer behavior, and market dynamics. These changes have paved the way for a number of potential future trends that could shape the industry in the coming years. In this article, we will explore some of these key trends and provide our own unique predictions and recommendations for the industry.
1. Embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already permeated various industries, and the [industry] is no exception. From automating repetitive tasks to enhancing customer service through chatbots, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way [industry] operates. In the future, we can expect to see AI being integrated into various aspects of the industry, such as predictive analytics for demand forecasting, personalized recommendation systems, and even autonomous vehicles for product delivery.
Prediction: By 2025, AI will be a crucial component of every [industry] company’s operations, leading to increased efficiency, cost savings, and improved customer experiences.
2. Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices
As concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability continue to grow, the [industry] will be under increasing pressure to adopt more sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Consumers are becoming more conscious of their purchasing decisions, and they expect companies to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. We foresee a future where environmentally-friendly packaging, renewable energy sources, and responsible waste management will become standard practices in the industry.
Prediction: By 2030, sustainability will be a non-negotiable factor for consumer purchasing decisions, prompting [industry] companies to prioritize eco-friendly practices throughout their entire supply chains.
3. Rise of E-commerce
The rise of e-commerce has already transformed the retail sector, and it is poised to have a similar impact on the [industry]. With the increasing convenience and accessibility of online shopping, consumers are now more inclined to purchase [industry] products online. This shift towards e-commerce will require [industry] companies to develop robust online platforms, invest in logistics and fulfillment capabilities, and provide a seamless online shopping experience.
Prediction: By 2023, e-commerce will account for more than 30% of total [industry] sales, driving [industry] companies to adapt their business models and invest in digital infrastructure.
4. Personalization and Customization
In an era of increasing personalization, consumers now expect tailored experiences and products. This trend is likely to extend to the [industry], where consumers will demand more personalized and customizable options. Companies that can offer personalized recommendations, customizable products, and unique shopping experiences will have a competitive edge in the future.
Prediction: By 2025, customization will become a standard offering in the [industry], with companies leveraging technologies such as 3D printing to provide personalized products to consumers.
Conclusion
The [industry] is poised to undergo significant transformations in the coming years as technology continues to advance and consumer expectations evolve. The integration of AI, adoption of sustainable practices, rise of e-commerce, and emphasis on personalization are just a few of the potential future trends that will shape the industry. [Industry] companies should embrace these trends as opportunities for growth and innovation, ensuring they stay ahead of the curve and meet the evolving needs of their customers.
