Space weather could threaten NASA’s Artemis II astronauts during their trip to the moon

NASA's Artemis II crew will face unprecedented radiation risks during their 10-day moon mission, becoming the first humans in decades to travel beyond Earth's protective magnetic field. While cosmic radiation and Van Allen Belt exposure are predictable, dangerous solar weather events like coronal mass ejections remain unpredictable and could bombard astronauts with harmful charged particles. The Orion capsule offers better radiation shielding than Apollo-era spacecraft, and NASA has contingency plans including emergency shelter construction, but recent solar flares demonstrate the ongoing threat.