MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- As NASA prepares to return humans to the Moon through the Artemis program, instructors at STARBASE Maxwell are helping Montgomery River Region fifth graders realize the history they are witnessing.
Beginning Feb. 12, STARBASE Maxwell pivoted its classroom focus to introduce future innovators to the Artemis program, the long-term mission aiming to return humans to the lunar surface. The mission also includes a milestone of the first woman and person of color establishing a sustainable lunar presence near the South Pole by 2026 or 2027.
Lisa West and Andrew Roberts, STARBASE Maxwell instructors, featured an educational video highlighting NASA’s Artemis program, giving students a visual understanding of the spacecraft, astronauts and mission.
“Artemis represents the next major leap in space exploration,” said West. “Artemis I successfully flew without a crew, validating systems and collecting data. Artemis II is scheduled to carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby around the Moon, testing deep-space operations to pave the way for the Artemis III landing.”
The mission’s crew includes commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover, both captains in the U.S. Navy. They are joined by Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, both mission specialists. Hansen’s career in particular illustrates the active-duty astronaut path; he was a captain when selected for the space program and continues to rise in military rank, now serving as a colonel, while detailed to the space agency.
STARBASE Maxwell instructors challenged the students to solve the practical hurdles these astronauts will face during their mission. Using computer-aided design, students engineered 3D printed lunar stations, living quarters, and tunnel systems, simulating how humans might build infrastructure on the Moon or Mars.
“There is a wide range of opportunities in space exploration,” Roberts said. “You might not become an astronaut, but you could become a designer, a 3D printing engineer or a technician. Those careers are just as critical to our future.”
Ted Welch, director of STARBASE Maxwell, emphasized how the program aligns with the state's growing role in the nation’s space and defense sectors.
“Alabama is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,” Welch said. “It also hosts a strong presence of aerospace and defense contractors.”
By bridging the gap between textbooks and real-world application, STARBASE Maxwell helps students visualize their own path into the engineering and defense sectors.
As the nation enters a new era of exploration, the mission remains clear: inspiring the next generation to see themselves as the architects of a future that extends from Earth to the Moon and beyond.