How To Launch Your Name Around The Moon On NASA's Artemis II Mission
It's probably no secret that NASA is planning on taking astronauts back to the Moon, but now the space agency is inviting the public to play a role in the upcoming 2026 Artemis II mission. No, they're not taking paid ride-along civilians (yet), but are instead offering you a chance to have your name loaded onto an SD card to accompany the astronauts aboard the Orion mothership.
Artemis II will mark the first crewed test flight of the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. A crew of four astronauts—NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen—will embark on a 10-day journey around the Moon. This mission will be mainly focused on testing the hardware and systems needed to land humans on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972 and laying the groundwork for future missions to Mars.
Last month, in a first-of-its-kind citizen science project, NASA had urged the public to lend their support to the mission's tracking efforts. Building on a successful pilot during the uncrewed Artemis I mission, the agency is seeking volunteers with the right equipment to passively track the Orion spacecraft as it travels to and from the Moon. By receiving and measuring changes in the spacecraft’s radio signals, participants—from academic institutions to amateur astronomers—can help NASA identify additional tracking capabilities outside its primary Near Space and Deep Space networks.
However, for those without advanced radio equipment, NASA has a more basic way to participate. Through its "Send Your Name with Artemis II" program, anyone can have their name submitted and stored onto an SD card that will fly around the Moon with the crew. Just as what NASA did with for Artemis I, it's a symbolic gesture that allows millions to claim a spot on the mission's digital manifest and become part of a significant chapter in space history.
The name of the program itself, "Artemis," is a powerful tribute to both the past and the future. In Greek mythology, Artemis was the goddess of the Moon and the twin sister of Apollo. By naming the program after Apollo's sibling, NASA pays homage to the original lunar missions while signaling a new era.
You can submit your name here (English) and here (Spanish).
