Colorado Army National Guard partners with NASA to prepare astronauts for lunar landings
NASA astronaut and co-chair of the Human Landing System joint test panel, Doug Wheelock said the undulating ridges and deep craters of the Moon's south pole are remarkably similar to Colorado's mountainous terrain. The Colorado mountains are an essential training environment because they help to teach astronauts how to recognize and overcome visual tricks played by the landscape, such as misjudging how far away an object is or losing sight of the true horizon.
The specialized training program, certified by NASA and the HAATS team in August 2025, focuses on high-stakes scenarios and controlling a helicopter in difficult environments. U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ethan Jacobs, an instructor pilot at HAATS, explained that the training exposes astronauts to visual illusions, crew communication under stress, and low-visibility conditions caused by kicked-up dust and snow. Operating in a high-risk flight environment helps prepare astronauts against perceived danger and the mental overload they will face while landing a spacecraft that has never been tested on the moon.
"You can put pilots in a simulator and have them do all this stuff, but there's no risk to them," Jacobs said. "Here, we are in a regime where there's a little bit more skin in the game. It's not a one-for-one for landing on the moon, but we can basically inoculate them against the perceived risk that they're in.”
The partnership, which began in the summer of 2021, has already seen approximately 25 astronauts complete the foundational training program. Future Moon crews are scheduled to attend a two-week program at HAATS to practice teamwork and refine how they communicate in the cockpit. Wheelock emphasized how vital the COARNG’s specialized expertise and location are to NASA's mission success.
"The skills they're teaching out here about power management are exactly what we need," Wheelock said. "We can't get this anywhere else. To us, it's been sort of our gemstone in our training architecture right now."
The partnership benefits the COARNG just as much as NASA. Working alongside space agency experts gives COARNG pilots access to new flying perspectives, helping them sharpen their own training programs and flight instruction.
“The Colorado Army National Guard is grateful for the opportunity to support NASA as humanity prepares to return to the moon,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Muriel Missler, state Army aviation officer. “Flying in Colorado’s challenging high-altitude terrain requires rigorous power management, seamless crew coordination and constant adaptability. We are truly honored to work alongside the NASA team and share our training environment to help prepare the Moon crews for mission success.”
NASA is planning to complete their first crewed lunar landing in 2028.
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