A Full Moon Checkup

In April 2026, NASA’s Artemis program took humanity back to the Moon, providing a new look at Earth’s only natural satellite. As the world celebrates the return of Artemis II’s four astronauts, the lunar surface continues to play a critical role in missions much closer to Earth.

Since 1972, the NASA/USGS Landsat program has captured the longest continuous record of Earth’s land surface, collecting images that track everything from crop health to glacial change. But with such a long data record, how can scientists trust that images acquired today can be accurately compared to those from days, years, or even decades ago? They look to the Moon.

Unlike Earth, with its constantly changing weather, seasons, and landscape, the Moon is remarkably stable. With no atmosphere and virtually no surface changes, the Moon reflects sunlight in a predictable, consistent way. This stability gives engineers a reference to fine-tune Landsat’s instruments and be confident that the data are accurate.

Once a month, during the full Moon, the spacecraft turns its instruments away from Earth and points them directly at the lunar surface. Over the course of two orbits, the spacecraft maneuvers to image the moon 15 times. During each pass, Landsat captures detailed measurements of light reflected off the Moon’s surface, revealing any unintended sensor change, or “drift,” that needs correction.

The animation above shows the scans acquired by band 4 of the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 on January 3, 2026. Each parallel scan was acquired by one of the 14 detector modules that comprise the instrument’s focal plane. The satellite maneuvers so that each module images the Moon, with one module capturing it twice.  

This work is one piece in a complex puzzle called calibration, which is part of what makes NASA the gold standard of science worldwide. From before launch all the way to the end of a satellite’s life, engineers ensure that the data collected by the satellite is accurate and consistent. In addition to looking to the Moon, Landsat also looks to places on Earth where the ground is uniform, like the wide, pale expanse of the White Sands desert in New Mexico.

Scientists also collect measurements on the ground to check against those collected from space. For example, they ensure that surface temperature readings match those recorded by Landsat’s thermal band. All these efforts are part of what make a Landsat image different from photos taken by consumer cameras. Landsat images contain crucial information that scientists can use to map changes in habitats, tree species, agricultural patterns, and more.

Video and animation by Ross Walter, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Ross Walter and Madeleine Gregory, Landsat Project Science Support.

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January 3, 2026: Animation

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Video

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January 3, 2026: Still Image

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References & Resources

• Landsat Project Science Support (2025, December 16) Maintaining the Gold Standard: The Future of Landsat Calibration and Validation. Accessed May 22, 2026.
• NASA (2025, December 2) Calibration & Validation. Accessed May 22, 2026.
• NASA Earth Observatory (2022, July 5) Landsat Looks at the Moon. Accessed May 22, 2026.
• NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (2014, July 11) Landsat 8 Lunar Calibration. Accessed May 22, 2026.

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Jaclyn Kagey Shapes Humanity’s Return to the Moon 

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Jaclyn Kagey Shapes Humanity’s Return to the Moon 

For Jaclyn Kagey, preparing astronauts to put boots on the Moon is part of her daily work. 

As the Artemis extravehicular activity lead in NASA’s Flight Operations Directorate, Kagey plays a central role in preparing astronauts to safely explore the lunar surface. 

My mission is to shape the historic endeavor by working closely with scientists and industry partners to define lunar surface activities. We are setting the standard for humanity’s return to the Moon.

Jaclyn Kagey

Artemis Extravehicular Activity Lead

During Artemis missions, astronauts will explore the Moon’s South Pole, a region never visited by humans, paving the way for future deep space exploration.  

Kagey helps define how astronauts will work on the Moon, from planning detailed spacewalk timelines to guiding real-time operations. Crews will conduct these activities after stepping outside NASA’s human landing system, a commercial lander designed to safely transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface and back.  

Kagey’s NASA career spans more than 25 years and includes work across some of the agency’s most complex programs.  

While studying at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, she watched space shuttle launches that solidified her goal of working at NASA. “From a young age, my aspirations were singularly focused on contributing to the nation’s aircraft and spaceflight endeavors,” she said. 

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“I’ve planned and executed seven spacewalks, but one that stands out was U.S. EVA 21,” she said. “We had a critical ammonia leak on the station, and from the time the issue was identified, we had just 36 hours to plan, prepare the spacesuits, and execute the repair.” 

The team successfully completed the spacewalk and restored the system. “The agility, dedication, and teamwork shown during that operation were remarkable,” Kagey said. “It demonstrated what this team can accomplish under pressure.” 

There are times when the mission requires everything you have. There are also times when you have to step back. Learning when to do each is critical.

Jaclyn Kagey

Artemis Extravehicular Activity Lead

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“It’s exciting to literally fit into the future of spacewalks!” Kagey said. 

About the Author

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Call for Creatives: NASA Seeks Help Illuminating Mission Storytelling

As NASA pushes the boundaries of exploration and innovation for the benefit of humanity, the agency is looking for partners to share mission stories covering Artemis Moon missions, nuclear propulsion, aeronautics, and more.

NASA published an Announcement for Proposals on May 21 asking filmmakers, documentarians, songwriters, storytellers, poets, and others to submit proposals to partner with the agency by Tuesday, June 30.

In this initial round, NASA is seeking up to 10 partners for unfunded Space Act Agreements to share the stories behind, and insights into, multiple NASA missions, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Artemis program, including the recently added Artemis III mission in 2027, and Artemis IV lunar landing in 2028, as well as plans for the agency to develop a Moon Base. Learn more about Artemis on the agency’s website.
• NASA’s advancement of nuclear propulsion, including the Space Reactor-1 Freedom mission to Mars in 2028 carrying the Skyfall payload.
• NASA’s cutting-edge aviation work through flight tests and other efforts.

While this opportunity is focused on U.S. creators, the agency will consider proposals with a minority of international participants. Proposals should detail which area of focus is desired, funding and distribution arrangements, and any specifics needs from NASA to move forward (access to facilities, personnel, etc.).

Full requirements and other details are available online:

https://go.nasa.gov/CreatorProposals

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Camille Gallo / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

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Lauren E. Low