Artemis II Crew Witnessed Meteorites Hitting the Lunar Surface During Flyby

Matt Growcoot
A detailed, close-up view of the moon’s surface shows numerous craters of varying sizes, with shadows accentuating their depth and texture. The image is in grayscale, highlighting the rugged lunar landscape.
A close-up view of the Moon taken by one of the Artemis II astronauts on this week’s trip around the Moon. The crew witnessed micrometeorites hitting the lunar surface.

While it may be tempting to assume that the Artemis II astronauts have spent the past week of their historic voyage simply capturing breathtaking images, they have also been actively engaged in critical scientific research.

While taking high-resolution photographs of the Moon just 4,067 miles from the lunar surface absolutely counts as a science experiment, the astronauts were also on the lookout for micrometeorites, which, much to the delight of NASA, they saw.

A view of Earth rising above the cratered, gray surface of the Moon against the blackness of space.
Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window on April 6.
Close-up image of the Moon’s surface, showing detailed craters and dark, shadowy maria areas with varying textures and shades of gray.
In this view of the Moon, the Artemis II crew captured an intricate snapshot of the rings of the Orientale basin, one of the Moon’s youngest and best-preserved large impact craters.

Space.com reports that there were “audible screams of delight” inside the Science Evaluation Room at Johnson Space Center at the news that the astronauts could see micrometeorites striking the far side of the Moon.

The excitement was because NASA scientists on Earth hadn’t expected the astronauts to see so many micrometeors. The crewmates say they witnessed no less than five impacts after the Sun had dipped behind the Moon, creating a solar eclipse for the astronauts.

The Artemis II crew was “prepared extensively,” according to Artemis II’s lunar science lead, Kelsey Young, about identifying certain geographical features of the Moon and what to photograph. Part of that prep was looking for impact flashes caused by micrometeors hitting the Moon.

A detailed close-up of the moon’s surface shows numerous craters and rugged terrain. The lighting creates strong shadows, highlighting the texture and depth of the lunar landscape against a black background.
A portion of the Moon coming into view along the terminator – the boundary between lunar day and night – where low-angle sunlight casts long, dramatic shadows across the surface.
A view of the Moon’s cratered surface dominates the foreground, with the distant Earth partially visible, rising over the Moon’s horizon against the darkness of space.
Earth sets over the Moon’s curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the Moon.

The Moon has no atmosphere, so micrometeorites travel unimpeded all the way to the surface. They strike the ground at full cosmic speed and vaporize or melt instantly, blasting holes in the lunar soil. Over billions of years, this constant bombardment has turned the surface into a fine, dusty layer called regolith.

“This is absolutely everything we hoped for by integrating science into flight operations,” Young tells Space.com. “Science enables exploration, and exploration enables science.”

In 2023, a Japanese astronomer captured video of a micrometeorite crashing into the Moon.

Image credits: NASA

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