NASA has invited the public to help track its upcoming Artemis II mission by receiving radio signals from the Orion spacecraft as it travels around the Moon. The call, announced this week, asks volunteers with suitable antennas to provide passive data during the flight, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than April 2026. Responses are due by October 27, 2025.
The space agency’s goal is to expand beyond its own networks by using data from commercial and private operators. Instead of sending signals, participants will only need to record Orion’s transmissions. By studying changes in frequency, known as Doppler shifts, they can estimate the spacecraft’s speed and position. NASA will combine this with its own data to improve tracking coverage.
Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of the Artemis program. Four astronauts will ride aboard Orion for about ten days, following a free-return path that loops around the Moon and brings them safely back to Earth without extra engine burns if needed. The mission will test life support, navigation, and other systems before longer trips are attempted.
Commander Reid Wiseman leads the crew. Pilot Victor Glover, who flew on SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission, will be the first Black astronaut to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Christina Koch, who set the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will also fly. This marks the first time an international partner joins an Artemis crew.
Passive tracking was first tested during Artemis I in 2022, when ten groups ranging from national agencies to amateur radio teams monitored Orion. That trial showed how outside contributions could serve as useful backups to NASA’s Deep Space Network, which normally handles deep-space missions from stations in California, Spain, and Australia.
Artemis I flew Orion 40,000 miles past the Moon before returning to Earth at nearly 25,000 miles per hour, proving the spacecraft’s heat shield and systems worked as expected. Data gathered by outside groups showed that non-NASA systems can successfully follow spacecraft through space, even during critical phases.
NASA officials say repeating this effort with Artemis II will help build long-term partnerships with commercial services as the agency prepares for permanent bases on the Moon and eventual crewed flights to Mars. Kevin Coggins, who oversees NASA’s space communications, said volunteer contributions allow the agency to test new approaches while managing growing traffic in orbit.
With thousands of satellites already circling Earth and more planned for the coming years, NASA says reliable tracking will be essential for safety. By inviting the public to contribute, the Artemis program blends professional operations with outside support, giving more people a direct role in the future of spaceflight.
Read full information about this opportunity here.