Final preparations are underway for NASA’s first crewed mission around the moon in more than 50 years, with an early February launch in sight.The Artemis II spaceflight will send four astronauts – three Americans and one Canadian – on a 10-day journey looping around the moon and back to Earth. The mission will be led by commander Reid Wiseman, with Victor Glover as pilot and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen as mission specialists.How does NASA prepare to take astronauts farther from Earth than most humans have ever gone? Trainers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston offered an inside look.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTraining for humanity’s return to the moonIt’s no small task to prepare astronauts for a journey few have traveled. At Johnson Space Center’s training facility, most trainers take a trial-by-fire approach.A team of trainers uses a flight simulator to test how the Artemis II crew responds under pressure. Lisa Voiles, chief training officer, and her team draft countless ways something could go wrong during any phase of the mission.The scenarios vary, but Voiles told “CBS Mornings” that it could be anything from the smallest sensor failure all the way up to a fire or other emergency. ” She observes how the crew responds to each problem while inside the capsule.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBoth the Artemis II crew and the mission control team have been undergoing rigorous training for months, troubleshooting issues during dozens of simulations.Judd Frieling, one of NASA’s flight directors who has supported more than 20 shuttle missions, will be sitting in the hot seat to oversee the Artemis II crew’s ascent to space.Frieling said some of the scenarios thrown at the astronauts and flight controllers during training are “very creative” — and absolutely necessary. While you can’t prepare for everything, Frieling said the simulations teach crew members and the mission control team how to adapt to any surprises.”If you don’t have a completely nailed down plan, at least you have a straw man of what the plan might be,” he explained in an interview with “CBS Mornings.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementArtemis II mission specialist H …
