As America approaches its 250th anniversary of declaring independence, NASA’s Artemis II mission will carry a host of mementos that reflect the nation’s long tradition of exploration, innovation, and leadership in its official flight kit. The items will fly aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, as it carries four astronauts around the Moon on the first crewed test flight of the agency’s Artemis campaign.

“Historical artifacts flying aboard Artemis II reflect the long arc of American exploration and the generations of innovators who made this moment possible,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “This mission will bring together pieces of our earliest achievements in aviation, defining moments from human spaceflight, and symbols of where we’re headed next. During America’s 250th anniversary, Orion will carry astronauts around the Moon while also carrying our history forward into the next chapter beyond Earth.”

Selected to honor America’s historic achievements in space, inspire the next generation of explorers, and reinforce U.S. leadership through international cooperation in science and education, the mementos continue a proud tradition carried forward from Artemis I and earlier human spaceflight missions. Together, they highlight the freedom and innovation that have unlocked the Golden Age of human space exploration.

A 1-inch by-1-inch swatch of muslin fabric from the original Wright Flyer the Wright Brothers used to make the first powered flight in 1903 will be flying aboard Artemis II, lent by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. A smaller square cut of the swatch previously flew aboard space shuttle Discovery on STS-51D in 1985 and will make its second journey into space. After the mission, the fabric will be reunited with two other 1903 Wright Flyer swatches at the museum, celebrating the nation’s history and innovation in aviation.

Also flying aboard the Artemis II mission will be a 13-by-8-inch American flag, which flew with the first shuttle mission, STS-1, the final shuttle mission, STS-135, and NASA’s first crewed test flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, SpaceX Demo-2.

A flag that was set to fly on NASA’s Apollo 18 mission is included in the flight kit and will make its premiere flight with Orion. The flag serves as a powerful emblem of America’s renewed commitment to human exploration of the Moon, while honoring the legacy of the Apollo pioneers who first blazed the trail.

Orion also will carry a copy of a 4-by-5-inch negative of a photo from the Ranger 7 mission, the first U.S. mission to successfully make contact with the lunar surface. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California managed the Ranger series of spacecraft, built to help identify safe Moon landing sites for Apollo astronauts. The photo represents a major turning point in the race to the Moon that will be echoed today through the success of Artemis.

On Artemis I, a variety of tree seeds flew and were distributed to educational organizations and teachers after the mission, following in the footsteps of tree seeds flown aboard the Apollo 14 mission sprouted into “Moon Trees” after being returned to Earth. The seeds have since taken root at 236 locations across the U.S. to become their own Artemis I Moon Trees. Soil samples collected from the base of established Artemis I Moon Trees planted at NASA’s 10 centers will fly aboard Artemis II, representing the full cycle of exploration: launch, flight, growth, and return to space again. The CSA (Canadian Space Agency) will fly various tree seeds in the kit with the intention of distributing them after the mission.

Also included in the kit will be an SD card including the millions of names of those who participated in the “Send Your Name to Space” campaign, bringing the public along on this journey. The kit will include a variety of flags, patches, and pins to be distributed after the mission to stakeholders and employees who contributed to the flight. 

Additionally, NASA has included items from several of its partners in the kit. Stickers and patches from CSA will fly, and ESA (European Space Agency) will fly a flag in the kit for distribution after the mission, marking NASA’s international collaboration with other space agencies through Artemis. Orion’s European Service Module, the powerhouse of the spacecraft, is provided by ESA.

Carrying mementos on the NASA spacecraft has been a tradition since the 1960s, one that was continued on Artemis I, the first uncrewed test flight of Orion and the SLS. During this mission, Orion carried a symbolic flight kit including historical artifacts, from Apollo missions STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and math, items, digitized student essays and teacher pledges, and more.

The official flight kit for Artemis II, which contains about 10 pounds of mementos in total, augments important scientific research  aboard Orion.

Quelle: NASA

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From earth (soil) to the moon (flag): NASA to fly artifacts on Artemis II

NASA's first astronauts to fly to the moon in more than 50 years will pay tribute to the lunar and space exploration missions that preceded them, as well as aviation and American history, by taking with them artifacts and mementos representing those past accomplishments.

A sign hung on a glass exhibit case at NASA Headquarters in Washington reads that the Apollo 18 lunar surface flag that had been on display was "removed for flight to the moon" as part of the Official Flight Kit (OFK) for the Artemis II mission. (Cole Simmons)
NASA on Wednesday (Jan. 21) revealed the contents of the Artemis II mission's Official Flight Kit (OFK), continuing a tradition dating back to the Apollo program of packing a duffel bag-size pouch of symbolic and celebratory items to celebrate the flight and recognize the people behind it. The kit includes more than 2,300 items, including a handful of relics.

"This mission will bring together pieces of our earliest achievements in aviation, defining moments from human spaceflight and symbols of where we're headed next," Jared Isaacman, NASA's Administrator, said in a statement. "Historical artifacts flying aboard Artemis II reflect the long arc of American exploration and the generations of innovators who made this moment possible."

The Artemis II mission, which may launch as soon as early February, is set to take three NASA astronauts — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch — and a representative of the Canadian Space Agency, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day flight that take them farther out into space than any humans have ever traveled before and then return them safely to Earth.

The mission includes a flyby of the moon, affording the crew an opportunity to see parts of the far side never observed directly by human eyes.

Banners aboard

"During America's 250th anniversary, Orion will carry astronauts around the moon, while also carrying our history forward into the next chapter beyond Earth," said Isaacman.

Inside the OFK are numerous flags of different types, including hundreds of U.S. and "America 250" flags for post-flight presentation. The kit also holds two special examples of the stars and stripes, one that is returning to space for its third time, and another that is finally getting its chance to fly.

The "Legacy Flag" which first flew on STS-1, the inaugural space shuttle mission in 1981, was then launched to the International Space Station on STS-135, the final space shuttle mission, in 2011 and brought back to Earth by the SpaceX Demo-2 crew, the first astronauts to fly into orbit on a U.S. commercial spacecraft, 2020. NASA then pledged to fly the 13-by-8-inch (33-by-20-centimeter) American flag yet again on the next crewed flight the moon.

A larger, 3-by-5-foot (0.9-by-1.5-meter) U.S. flag is also in the Artemis II OFK. It was prepared like at least seven others to be deployed on the lunar surface until its mission, Apollo 18, was canceled due to budget cuts. The banner was instead put on display at NASA Headquarters in Washington until recently, when it was taken off exhibit to make its premiere flight to the moon on Artemis.

Other flags inside the mission's OFK include those representing U.S. states and military branches, the United Nations, various schools and other countries. The European Space Agency (ESA), which provided the service module for he Artemis II Orion spacecraft, has aboard one its logo flags for display after the mission.

From the ground to flight

The Artemis I OFK that flew on an uncrewed test flight in 2022, carried tree seeds around the moon, similar to how Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa did in 1971. The resulting Artemis moon trees, like the Apollo moon trees before them, have since grown to become living reminders of what humanity is capable of achieving.

On Artemis II, NASA is flying soil samples collected from the base of established Artemis moon trees that were planted at the agency's ten centers. The packets of earth represent "the full cycle of exploration: launch, flight, growth and return to space again," as explained by NASA. The Canadian Space Agency will restart that cycle with tree seeds it is flying on Artemis II to be planted around Canada.

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has loaned a 1-by-1-inch (2.54-by-2.54 cm) swatch of muslin fabric that was cut from the right wing of the original Flyer that the Wright Brothers used to make the first powered flight in 1903. The swatch was cut from a larger sample that previously launched on the space shuttle Discovery's STS-51D mission in 1985.

After Artemis II, NASA will return the fabric to the museum, which displays the Wright Flyer as well as other space-flown swatches, including pieces that were landed on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969.

Before Apollo 11 touched down with the first humans, NASA's Ranger 7 became the first U.S. mission to successfully make contact with the lunar surface. Artemis II will carry a copy of a 4-by-5-inch (10-by-13-cm) negative of a photo from that 1964 robotic mission. The photo represents "a major turning point in the race to the moon that will be echoed today through the success of Artemis," according to NASA officials.

Shavings and a name card... two bits (of rodeo)

Beyond patches, pins and decals, a few other standout items in the 10-pound (4.5-kilogram) Artemis II Official Flight Kit include an SD card recorded with the names of 2.9 million (and counting) people who signed up to be on the mission and metal shavings from the construction of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage, the largest component of the mission's launch vehicle.

There is also a badge and a "leather back number" from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, an annual event in "Space City," home to the Johnson Space Center in Texas.

In addition to the OFK, the astronauts each have their own Personal Preference Kit (PPK), a smaller pouch in which they can carry mementos that have significance to them. As examples, Wiseman said he is flying a notecard to take down his thoughts during the flight; Glover has a bible, heirlooms for his wife and children and a collection of inspirational quotes compiled by Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart; Koch has handwritten notes from people that she loves to serve as a tactile connection between her and them; and Hansen has four moon pendants that he is taking for his wife and three children.

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This is the Artemis II Official Flight Kit (OFK) manifest as provided by NASA and transcribed by collectSPACE from the original PDF.

 Quelle: CS

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Update: 26.01.2026

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Artemis II crew wears 'Freedom 250' patch for US semiquincentennial

NASA's Artemis II crew pose for a picture showing the Freedom 250 commemorative patch on their flight suits, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The next astronauts to fly to the moon are now wearing their pride for America's history on their sleeves.

NASA on Thursday (Jan. 22) formally revealed the Freedom 250 commemorative patch and announced that the Artemis II astronauts will wear the emblem "during their historic launch."

Set to fly by and beyond the moon — going farther into deep space than anyone has gone before — Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch, all NASA astronauts, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen with the Canadian Space Agency will return to Earth 10 days after their launch. The mission coincides with the United States' semiquincentennial.

"Honoring America's 250th anniversary ... the [patch's] theme, 'Rocket's Red Glare,' draws inspiration from the iconic lyric in The Star-Spangled Banner symbolizing perseverance, innovation and the enduring spirit of exploration that defines our nation," read a NASA description.

The four-inch (10-centimeter) circular patch depicts the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifting off on a red plume. The booster is backdropped by a billowing American flag and positioned between the moon and Mars to one side and the "Freedom 250" logo on the other. The depiction of the moon includes an astronaut's boot print on its surface.

Freedom 250 is the national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of the 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, establishing the United States.

The patch was produced by A-B Emblem and designed by artist Phillip Elkins.

"Realizing that I quite literally designed something that will travel out of this world is both humbling and surreal," wrote Elkins in a social media post. "Space has always represented something bigger than ourselves — curiosity, courage and the quiet belief that we're meant to keep exploring."

Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen were first seen with the Freedom 250 patch at the rollout of their SLS rocket to the launch pad on Jan. 17. Standing together at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the four crewmates displayed the new addition to their NASA blue flight suits. The emblem was sewn to each of their left-arm sleeves, just below their elbows.

In addition to the Freedom 250 commemorative, the astronauts also wore the Artemis II mission patch, their respective space agency insignia and country flags and patches representing their previous spaceflights.

Hansen also had on his Canadian Space Agency personal patch, representing the indigenous communities in Canada.

The Freedom 250 emblem adds to other ways that NASA and the astronauts are helping to celebrate the milestone year. In December, the agency revealed the "America 250" logo on the two solid rocket boosters that will help launch Artemis II. The mission's Official Flight Kit (OFK) also includes three "America 250" flags to be flown to the moon and returned to Earth.

Quelle: CS

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Update: 27.01.2026

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Artemis II Crew Enters Quarantine Ahead of Journey Around Moon