The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is seeking volunteers to passively track the 2026 Artemis II Orion spacecraft as the crewed mission travels to the Moon and back to Earth.

The Artemis II test flight will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT; Victor Glover, KI5BKC; and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.

Targeted for no later than April 2026, the mission will rely on NASA’s Near Space Network and Deep Space Network for primary communications and tracking support throughout its launch, orbit, and reentry. However, with a growing focus on commercialization, NASA wants to further understand industry’s tracking capabilities.

This collaboration opportunity builds upon a previous request released by NASA’s Space Communication and Navigation Program (SCaN ) during the Artemis I mission in 2022. Ten volunteers successfully tracked the uncrewed Orion spacecraft on its journey thousands of miles beyond the Moon and back.

One of those volunteers tracking in 2022 was Scott Chapman, K4KDR, of Montpelier, Virginia. “Sometimes it’s what you don’t know that makes this kind activity interesting,” said Chapman. “All I had was a small S-band dish and receiver and wasn’t sure what I could or couldn’t hear...but when I started hearing the signals...it made everything worth it.”

Chapman said he felt good about the whole process and, while it was interesting, it was also lot of fun!

There were also other participants during the Artemis I mission, including international space agencies, academic institutions, commercial companies, nonprofits, and private citizens who were also attempting to receive Orion’s signals. Chapman added that NASA is also looking for commercial partnerships to share in the process.

If you’re interested in volunteering for next year’s event, all of the information can  be found at SAM.gov. The response deadline is October 27, 2025, at 5:00 PM EDT.