‘Astronaut’ Moonikin Campos goes sledding

In this image, ‘Astronaut‘ Moonikin Campos, a manikin that flew on the Artemis I flight test beyond the Moon, enjoys a quiet moment during acceleration sled testing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

NASA’s engineers put Moonikin Campos through acceleration sled testing to simulate contingency landings. Sled testing is a common method of testing restraint systems like automotive seats and seat belts to investigate their performance in collision situations. The tests are informing engineers’ understanding of what the experience of flying inside the agency’s Orion spacecraft will be like on crewed missions to the Moon beginning with Artemis II.

Image Credit: NASA April 2023

Editor: Monika Luabeya