Exclusive: How NASA astronauts are training to walk on the Moon in 2026 Simulated lunar exploration in an Arizona volcanic field this month helped astronauts to prepare for doing geology in harsh conditions at the lunar south pole. Nature joined mission control.Exclusive: How NASA astronauts are training to walk on the Moon in 2026 Simulated lunar exploration in an Arizona volcanic field this month helped astronauts to prepare for doing geology in harsh conditions at the lunar south pole. Nature joined mission control.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01533-3?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=bd1819e3da-nature-briefing-daily-20240530&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-bd1819e3da-50432164 How astronauts train for Moon-walking A volcanic field in Arizona at night, illuminated only by a giant spotlight was the site of the biggest dress rehearsal yet for NASA astronauts preparing for their 2026 Moon mission. They will be the first people to set foot on the lunar surface in more than half a century. During four simulated Moon walks, the astronauts collected 38 kilograms of rocks and soil — all as carefully planned by the ‘science scrum’, the researchers working in the science back room. “We can’t just say we want that rock,” said geologist José Hurtado. “We have to elucidate why we want that specific rock and why it ties back to our priorities.”