Artemis 2 to Carry Wright Brothers' Fabric and Apollo Relics on Lunar Mission

NASA's Artemis 2 mission will transport a 120-year-old Wright Brothers' plane fabric swatch and Apollo-Era artifacts on a 10-day lunar journey, connecting aviation history with contemporary space exploration. A 1-square-inch swatch of muslin fabric from the Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer will fly aboard the Orion spacecraft, on loan from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. An American flag flown on STS-1 (1981) and STS-135 (2011) will also travel, alongside a flag originally intended for the cancelled Apollo 18 mission in 1970.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated, 'Historical artifacts flying aboard Artemis 2 reflect the long arc of American exploration.' The mission will carry approximately 10 pounds of mementoes, including moon soil samples from Artemis 1 and an SD card with names from NASA's 'Send Your Name to Space' campaign.

The European Space Agency (ESA) provided Orion's service module, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is part of the crew.

Targeted for launch in early February 2025, Artemis 2 will be the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. A separate swatch of Wright Flyer fabric remains on Mars aboard the Ingenuity helicopter, which flew there in 2021.

The mission's international collaboration and historical cargo underscore NASA's stated rationale for linking past achievements to future lunar exploration.