NASA opens Artemis II lunar science archive with more than 11,000 images

NASA made more than 800 gigabytes of Artemis II lunar science data available to researchers and the public on October 7, 2026, through its Planetary Data System. The archive records the crew’s April 6 flyby of the Moon and gives scientists access to images, video, spoken observations and annotations that can be studied together.

The release includes more than 11,000 full-resolution images and videos from handheld cameras and cameras aboard the Orion spacecraft, NASA says. Some of the material had not previously been released. The archive also contains 8.5 hours of audio recordings of the crew’s scientific observations and images marked up by astronauts to show what they noticed.

What the Artemis II lunar archive contains

The four crew members were NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. During the flyby, they rotated observation duties, taking photographs, making notes and recording descriptions of the lunar surface. NASA says the lunar observation period lasted about seven hours. Its preliminary report puts Orion’s closest approach at roughly 4,067 miles from the surface.

NASA released three documents alongside the data: a preliminary lunar science report, a science operations report and a data user guide. Together, the agency says, they describe the observations, how the science plan was carried out and how to use the material. The reports offer a starting point for analysis; releasing the archive does not mean that every observation has already produced a settled scientific finding.

Why scientists are studying the crew’s observations

One question described in NASA’s preliminary report is how the Moon’s color, brightness, contrast and apparent texture change with viewing angle. Researchers can compare the crew’s descriptions and photographs with observations from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Such comparisons may help interpret what different instruments and observers record, although the newly available data do not yet establish a final answer.

The crew also reported faint flashes on the Moon during the April flyby. NASA’s report says scientists considered other possible sources, including cosmic rays and spacecraft reflections, before confirming the sightings as impact flashes. Apollo astronauts had reported similar events. NASA estimates from the flashes’ brightness that the incoming rocky fragments were no more than a couple of inches wide; that size remains the agency’s preliminary estimate.

NASA says the crew saw five extremely faint flashes while Orion was about 46,000 miles from the Moon. The nearly hour-long eclipse experienced during the flyby provided dark conditions in which such brief light could be noticed. The observations illustrate a use for human observers, but a handful of sightings cannot by themselves establish how frequently small objects strike the Moon or quantify risks to future lunar equipment.

In a May report about the flyby, Space.com quoted NASA lunar science lead Kelsey Young saying that impact flashes are extremely difficult to capture with a camera and that observations by trained crew using the unaided eye have value. That reporting preceded the October archive release. It provides independent context for why the sightings attracted scientific interest, while NASA remains the source for what the newly released archive contains.

What researchers can examine next

NASA says researchers can study crew descriptions together with the locations viewed, the pictures taken and the annotations made during the flight. The agency also says the experience of pairing trained astronauts with science teams on Earth will inform planning for later Artemis missions. These are proposed uses of the record, rather than results already demonstrated by the public release.

The impact observations may eventually help researchers investigate how often small objects hit the Moon, a question relevant to planning long-term lunar habitats and infrastructure. NASA’s preliminary account does not provide a quantified hazard or show that a habitat design should change. Further analysis of the images, audio and other observations will determine what conclusions the archive can support.