Desert Moonwalk: NASA’s Nighttime Simulation Paves Way for Artemis III

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas participated in a nighttime simulated moonwalk in Northern Arizona as part of JETT5, aimed at rehearsing operations for the upcoming Artemis III mission. The test involved two teams: one conducting moonwalks in Arizona, and another providing support from NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins, foreground, and Andre Douglas execute a nighttime simulated moonwalk in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona on May 16, 2024, as part of the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team Field Test 5 (JETT5). The test consisted of four simulated moonwalks that followed operations planned for Artemis III and beyond.