NASA has released the full lunar science dataset from Artemis II, turning the first crewed Artemis flight into a public archive of more than 800 gigabytes.
The October 7 release includes more than 11,000 full-resolution images and videos captured with handheld and Orion spacecraft cameras. NASA also published 8.5 hours of crew science audio, images annotated by the astronauts, mission reports and a guide for people using the data.
The release covers the mission's broader lunar science record. NASA's separate multimedia collection also includes launch, flight, return and recovery material.
A human view of the Moon
NASA calls the release the first planetary science dataset captured primarily by humans in more than half a century. The astronauts photographed and described lunar features while scientists on Earth helped direct their observations.
NASA says the astronauts' quick decisions about observation targets and which images to capture, together with their perceptions and discussions, complement records from Apollo-era missions and robotic spacecraft. The agency says scientists are already using those observations to refine plans for Artemis III and later missions.
The archive extends beyond imagery. Crew audio preserves spoken observations made during the flyby, while annotations connect selected views to the features the astronauts were examining. The accompanying reports document how the science program was prepared and carried out.
The flight behind the archive
Artemis II launched April 1 and splashed down April 10 after 9 days, 1 hour and 32 minutes. The crewed lunar flyby carried NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
NASA's official multimedia hub organizes a smaller, curated selection for general viewing. Its Return to Earth gallery lists 11 images and one video, while other galleries cover the lunar flyby, journey to the Moon, mission science, launch and recovery.
The newly public science archive is much larger than those curated galleries. It preserves the observations, context and documentation researchers can use as NASA prepares for another crewed mission deeper into the Artemis program.
