5Upper IntermediateExamScience

NASA's Artemis 2: Life Inside a Tiny Moon Spacecraft

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts around the moon in a spacecraft the size of a minivan. The Artemis 2 mission will be humanity's first crewed journey beyond low-Earth orbit in over fifty years, and the crew must live in just 330 cubic feet of space.

2 min readLevel 5March 31, 2026

By Flalingo Editorial Team

Vocabulary

Study these words before reading the article. Click the audio button to hear pronunciation.

compact

/kəmˈpækt/

adjective

Small in size but designed to use space efficiently

“The compact design of the spacecraft allows four people to live and work inside.”

simultaneously

/ˌsɪməlˈteɪniəsli/

adverb

Happening or done at the same time

“The capsule must serve as a bedroom, kitchen, and laboratory simultaneously.”

rehearse

/rɪˈhɜːs/

verb

To practice something before doing it for real

“The actors rehearsed the scene several times before the final performance.”

ambitious

/æmˈbɪʃəs/

adjective

Requiring a lot of effort, skill, or courage to succeed

“Building a new city on the coast was an ambitious project for the government.”

sustain

/səˈsteɪn/

verb

To keep something alive or continuing over a period of time

“The emergency food supply was enough to sustain the group for a week.”

drastically

/ˈdræstɪkli/

adverb

In a way that is extreme or very noticeable

“Air pollution in the city has drastically decreased since the new laws were introduced.”

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Article

Click on any underlined word to see its definition. Highlighted words are from the vocabulary section.

NASA's Artemis 2 mission could launch as early as April 2026. Four astronauts will travel around the far side of the moon. The entire journey will cover 685,000 miles over ten days. This will be the first crewed mission beyond low-Earth orbit in over fifty years. The compact Orion spacecraft will sit atop a 322-foot rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The crew will live inside just 330 cubic feet of space. That is roughly the size of a minivan. However, it is fifty percent more room than Apollo astronauts had. It is drastically smaller than the 13,000-cubic-foot International Space Station. Because the crew cannot leave the capsule, it must serve many purposes simultaneously.

Daily life aboard Orion has been carefully planned by NASA engineers. Meals will come from food pouches warmed on a compact hot plate. All four astronauts will sleep in bags strapped to the walls at night. A small flywheel device will allow them to exercise against resistance. NASA will study how exercise vibrations affect the spacecraft's steering systems.

Safety is a critical concern for this ambitious deep-space mission. The crew will rehearse sheltering in a shielded area beneath the floor during solar storms. New orange survival suits can sustain astronauts for up to 144 hours during emergencies. If Orion fails as a reliable habitat, broader lunar-return plans cannot proceed. This mission will prove whether humans can safely live in deep space.

Comprehension Quiz

Test your understanding of the article with these multiple-choice questions.

1
How long is the Artemis 2 mission expected to last?
2
How much living space does the Orion capsule provide?
3
What will the crew do during solar storms?
4
How does Orion's living space compare to the Apollo spacecraft?
5
What is the primary purpose of the Artemis 2 mission?

Discussion

Answer these comprehension questions about the article.

1
According to the article, why is the Artemis 2 mission considered historically significant?
2
What evidence supports the claim that living conditions aboard Orion will be very limited?
3
The author suggests that safety preparations are extensive. What examples are given to support this?
4
According to the passage, what will happen if the Orion spacecraft fails as a habitat?
5
How does the article explain the way astronauts will use the small space inside the capsule?

Further Discussion

Share your opinions on these open-ended questions.

1
If you were offered a place on a ten-day space mission in a very small spacecraft, would you accept? Why or why not?
2
Do you think governments should spend large amounts of money on space exploration, or should they focus on problems on Earth?
3
How would you feel about sharing a tiny living space with three other people for ten days? What challenges might arise?
4
Some people argue that robots could explore space instead of humans. Do you agree with this view?
5
What qualities do you think an astronaut needs to have in order to succeed on a mission like Artemis 2?