Earth's Moon Resources

In this talk, Dr. Prabal Saxena, a research space scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, discusses what types of microbes we might bring with us to the Moon, whether they'll be able to survive, and why such survival matters.

To understand the Moon, NASA scientists head somewhere surprisingly similar to it—Iceland. This island nation's volcanic highlands, ash plains, and rugged lava fields create one of the most accurate lunar stand-ins on Earth.

With Artemis II on the horizon, four astronauts transition from years of training to mission-ready reality. Learn about the teamwork required to test new systems at the edge of exploration.

Before the Artemis II astronauts lift off on their journey around the Moon in early 2026, find out what it takes to build a mission like theirs from the ground up.

Discover how the Artemis II crew is being trained to capture and document their views of the lunar surface for all of us back home.

Check out these simulated views of the Artemis II lunar flyby. The Artemis II crew members are using these visualizations to prepare for their historic mission, which will pave the way for future exploration of the Moon's surface and beyond.

This visualization shows the Moon's phase at hourly intervals throughout 2026, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. A Southern Hemisphere version is also available.

On Nov. 16, 2022, NASA launched the Artemis I test flight, sending an uncrewed Orion capsule beyond the Moon and back. On board were seeds from five species of trees, to be planted after returning to Earth. On Nov. 7, 2024, a seedling from the Artemis I flight was planted at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center. Check out this video for the commemoration event.

NASA's Artemis III mission will target landing sites near the lunar South Pole. There, ancient rocks, minerals, and trapped water ice will not only provide resources for human explorers, they may also contain clues to the formation and evolution of our planet and the solar system.

From the volcanic fields of Arizona to the lunar-like landscape of Iceland, learn how NASA scientists are actively preparing astronauts and mission support teams for conducting science on the Moon.

Discover the Artemis II mission, which will fly four astronauts around the Moon. This mission will last for about 10 days and will be the first crewed test flight of the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the Exploration Ground Systems at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Florida needed to support them.

Artemis I launched from historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022, and returned to Earth on Dec. 11, 2022 (on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 17 landing on the Moon). Check out this video for highlights from the mission.

The Artemis missions will build a community on the Moon, driving a new lunar economy and inspiring a new generation. This video explains why returning to the Moon is a natural next step in human exploration, and how the lessons learned from Artemis will pave the way to Mars and beyond.

Explore how NASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) mission is laying the groundwork for future Artemis science.

This visualization shows the precise location of the Moon's South Pole in the system of lunar latitude and longitude adopted by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission.

This video showcases how the instruments onboard LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), and the data they collect, help scientists make important discoveries about the Moon.

Learn about the research being done as part of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program, or ANGSA, an effort to study the samples returned from the Apollo Program in advance of the upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon's South Pole.

See Earth's Moon from a new perspective with these NASA data visualizations.

Use real images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to spot craters, mountains, and other features on the lunar surface. Imagine you are part of the Artemis II mission and practice making your own astronaut observations from lunar orbit.

When asteroids strike the Moon, they melt rock and scatter boulders across the surface. Help NASA uncover the Moon's history through Lunar Melt, a citizen science project. No matter where you are in the world, anyone with a computer can join in.

Create your own lunar impact craters using simple materials. When astronauts visit the Moon during future Artemis missions, they'll explore craters that may contain water and ice.

Spend the next month getting to know the Moon. Set aside some time each day to look at the Moon, and record your observations in the log provided here.

Have you ever wondered when the next full moon will be? How about the first quarter moon? Now you can have all the dates and times for all the Moon phases for the year at your fingertips by building your own Moon phases calendar and calculator!

The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation, or CRaTER, is a shoebox-sized instrument onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In this activity, you can make a comic book that explains cosmic rays, the danger of cosmic rays, and how CRaTER works.

Channel your inner astronaut! Take pictures of yourself completing this series of Moon challenges. We encourage you to interpret the challenges creatively using whatever materials you have available.

Let your creativity shine with this Artemis coloring sheet, featuring sketches of the Moon, an astronaut, the Orion spacecraft, the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, Earth, and a distant planet.

Color an outline of NASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) spacecraft as it orbits the Moon.

Discover tips and techniques to make the most of your next lunar photo opportunity.

Become an Artemis expert with the latest graphics and shareable content for work, school, or just for fun, and learn about all things Artemis.

Explore this page for a collection of LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) handouts.

This view of the Moon was created with images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last person to walk on the Moon, stands on the lunar surface.

Astronaut James Irwin works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity at the Hadley-Apennine landing site.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the Moon near a leg of the Lunar Module during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity.

A glimpse of the Moon through Earth's atmosphere, as seen from the International Space Station.

On its way to explore the Jupiter system in December 1992, NASA's Galileo spacecraft took this view of the Moon.

This photograph, taken during the second Apollo 12 extravehicular activity, shows two U.S. spacecraft on the surface of the Moon: the Apollo 12 Lunar Module in the background, with the robotic Surveyor 3 spacecraft in the foreground.

Scientist-astronaut Harrison Schmitt stands by the American flag during a moonwalk on the Apollo 17 mission.

A close-up view of an astronaut's boot print in the lunar soil, photographed during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity on the Moon.

Explore Earth's Moon using this interactive website. Perform a wide range of analyses such as measuring distances, creating elevation plots, and conducting lighting and slope analysis. You can even generate output files for 3D printing of desired surface features.

Check out NASA's interactive map featuring the Moon's phase each day of the year, along with recommendations of sites to observe with your eyes, binoculars, or a telescope.

Explore an online lunar art gallery featuring visuals that were created using data gathered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Journey into the Astromaterials 3D virtual library of NASA's Apollo lunar collection! Examine and slice rock samples with the Explorer tool.

Train like an astronaut by learning geography of the Moon! As you embark on this expedition you will identify regions, learn fun facts, and have an opportunity to further analyze regions using Moon Trek. Earn a badge of completion as you play at your own pace or against the clock.

Put your lunar geologist knowledge and skills to the test! Learn about the history and evolution of the Moon, Moon rocks and more. Earn a badge of completion as you apply the skills you develop to classify Moon rocks.

Have fun with this jeopardy-style, NASA Science Quest designed to help build knowledge related to NASA's Moon rocks and more. Challenge yourself to earn the highest score!