NASA uses mannequins to learn to protect astronauts for Artemis II

Mannequins are being used by NASA to learn how to best protect astronauts for Artemis II, the first mission with a human crew.

On its way to the Moon, a mannequin named Commander Moonikin Campos will “command” the Orion spacecraft.

The astronaut’s seat will be outfitted with two sensors to record acceleration and vibration throughout the mission, one under the headrest and one behind the seat.

Engineers will compare the flight data from Artemis I to previous ground-based vibration tests performed on the same mannequeens and human subjects.

Mannequins will be used to collect data for comparing Orion’s vibration and acceleration to predictions made before launch.

All accelerometers will measure impact on these seat locations as Orion splashes down in the Pacific Ocean for comparison to water impact tests at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.

Previously, the same mannequin was used in a series of Orion vibration tests.

Astronauts train on the ground and on the International Space Station with a manikin, which requires crew members to administer CPR while inside the Orion spacecraft.

Dummies occupied crew capsule prototypes during water impact drop tests at Langley to help engineers better understand what Orion and its crew might experience when landing in the ocean.

Dummies are used in tests in which a test version of Orion is dropped from an aircraft.

There are two more occupants: identical phantom torsos named Helga and Zohar.