Training day for Artemis II Moon crew

The Artemis II astronauts are preparing for their trip around the Moon which is due in around six months time.

The crew donned their space suits and got on board the Orion spacecraft for specialist training.

The astronauts were connected up to the spacecraft and its control systems, allowing them to prepare for launch day and do sims of situations they might find themselves in during the mission.

These tests help the crew get used to the kit they'll be using, but also to check all the equipment and plans so final adjustments can be made ahead of launch if needed.

Nasa's Sean Duffy said: "Every milestone in the Artemis campaign brings us closer to landing Americans back on the Moon and pushing onward to Mars."

What do the Artemis II suits look like?

The fetching orange colour of the OCSS means the crew can be easily spotted if they landed in the ocean during takeoff or landing

Teams tested out different situations so the crew could get practice dealing with any challenges that could arise during the mission.

The astronauts also had the chance to check out the sleeping arrangements and the hygiene bay as well as learn how to review air quality levels.

It means they'll be prepared to deal with any challenges they may face.

The training days were also a chance to try on their bright orange space suits called the Orion Crew Survival System (OCSS).

It's worn inside the Orion spacecraft on launch day, in emergency situations, in high-risk parts of the missions near the Moon and on their return to Earth.

It's fitted specifically to each astronaut and has lots of tech to help protect the wearers.

It's not the only spacesuit they'll have. Like many missions they'll also have another to wear outside the spacecraft during space walks and they work like a personal spaceship.

Everything you need to know about the Artemis II mission

Artemis is Nasa's first Moon mission in more than 50 years and is a three-part series of increasingly complex missions aimed at putting a man and a woman on the Moon.

The Artemis I mission didn't have any astronauts on board (although Shaun the sheep went) but was designed to fully test the Moon mission kit. It was successfully sent in orbit around the Moon in November 2022.

Artemis II takes it a step further with a crew on board, and will circle around the Moon before returning home while Artemis III plans to land Nasa astronauts on the Moon's surface.

The original plan was to have people walking on the Moon by the end of 2025, but the mission has been delayed multiple times.

Nasa ended up moving the mission back a year to be able to fix a safety issue with its heat shield.

American astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen have been selected for the Artemis II mission.

Reid Wiseman will be the mission's commander. He's a US Navy pilot who has also previously served as the head of Nasa's astronaut office. He's flown one previous mission to the International Space Station (ISS) back in 2015.

American astronaut Christina Koch is the only woman on the mission. She's an electrical engineer with a pretty impressive track record, having spent more time in space than any other woman.

In 2019 she made the first all-female spacewalk along with fellow astronaut Jessica Meir.

US Navy test pilot Victor Glover is the third member of the Artemis II team. He joined Nasa in 2013 and made his first spaceflight in 2020. He was the first African American to stay on the space station for an extended period of six months.

Jeremy Hanson is the chosen Canadian astronaut on the team. He was a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the Canadian Space Agency and he's yet to travel to space.