As a milestone year approaches for the United States, a future Moon mission is set to carry powerful symbols of human exploration beyond Earth.
When the US marks its 250th Anniversary of Independence in 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission will take historic tokens into lunar orbit. The official flight kit of the Orion spacecraft includes artefacts that trace the journey of aviation and space exploration, selected by NASA and its global partners. These items will travel as part of the world’s first crewed Artemis mission.
According to reports, NASA has chosen objects that reflect key moments in US aviation and space history. A muslin fabric swatch from the 1903 Wright Flyer, loaned by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, will fly aboard Orion. A US flag that flew on the first and final Space Shuttle missions is also part of the kit, along with a symbolic Apollo 18 mission flag.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has contributed a 4-by-5-inch photo negative from Ranger 7, the first US spacecraft to successfully reach the Moon’s surface. The image marks a crucial step in early lunar exploration.
The Artemis II flight package also highlights international collaboration and public outreach. Soil linked to “Moon Trees”, grown from seeds flown during Artemis I and planted at NASA centres, will be included. Seeds provided by the Canadian Space Agency are part of the package as well.
Mission patches, pins, and flags from both the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency have been added to the collection. NASA has also included an SD card carrying the names of individuals who participated in its “Send Your Name” campaign, allowing people around the world to be symbolically involved in the mission.
All these items together add a total weight of 10 pounds to the Artemis II flight package, turning the mission into both a technological milestone and a tribute to shared space history.
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