NASA’s next crewed mission to the Moon will carry more than astronauts and instruments. When Artemis II lifts off, the Orion spacecraft will also transport a small collection of historic objects that trace the long arc of human flight. These items come from aviation’s earliest experiments and from defining moments of the space age. Their inclusion reflects a long-standing NASA practice of carrying symbolic mementos alongside scientific cargo. The mission will mark the first time humans orbit the Moon in more than fifty years. It also comes as the United States approaches 250 years since independence. NASA says the flight kit links past innovation with future exploration, placing physical reminders of history on a path that now stretches beyond Earth.
NASA’s Artemis II will carry century-old items alongside its first crewed lunar flight
Artemis II is the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis programme. Four astronauts will travel aboard Orion, launched by the Space Launch System rocket, and orbit the Moon before returning to Earth. The flight will test spacecraft systems and crew operations in deep space.Unlike Artemis I, which flew without a crew, this mission brings humans back into lunar space for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA describes Artemis II as a bridge between testing and future landings later in the decade.
Historic aviation links are flying aboard Orion
Among the most striking items in the flight kit is a small swatch of fabric from the Wright Flyer. The muslin comes from the aircraft used by the Wright brothers during the first powered flight in 1903. It is on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.A smaller piece of the same fabric previously flew on space shuttle Discovery in 1985. After Artemis II returns, the fabric will be reunited with other Wright Flyer fragments, reinforcing the connection between early aviation and modern spaceflight.
American flags reflect decades of space missions
Flags are included in the Artemis II kit. One American flag has already flown on major missions, including the first and last space shuttle flights and SpaceX’s first crewed Dragon mission. Another flag was originally prepared for the cancelled Apollo 18 mission and will fly in space for the first time aboard Orion.NASA says these flags represent continuity rather than celebration. Each has followed a different path through the history of US spaceflight.
Lunar exploration history is represented in film and soil
The flight kit also includes a copy of a photographic negative from the Ranger 7 mission. Ranger 7 was the first US spacecraft to successfully impact the Moon and return close range images. The mission helped identify safe landing areas for Apollo astronauts.Soil samples are also flying. These were collected from the base of Artemis I Moon Trees, grown from seeds that travelled on the earlier uncrewed mission. The samples symbolise a cycle of launch, return and renewed flight.
International partners are part of the flight kit
NASA has included items from partner space agencies. The Canadian Space Agency will fly tree seeds for later educational use. The European Space Agency is contributing a flag, reflecting its role in Artemis through the Orion European Service Module.These items underline the international nature of modern human spaceflight, even on missions led by NASA.
A tradition that continues quietly
Carrying mementos has been part of NASA missions since the 1960s. Artemis II’s flight kit weighs around ten pounds and travels alongside scientific payloads and test equipment.The objects are not the focus of the mission. They do not guide the spacecraft or gather data. They sit quietly inside Orion, reminders that the path to deep space has been built slowly, piece by piece, across more than a century of flight.