Air Force Lab Tests Lunar Landing Impact Forces
Researchers in Dayton used a 50-foot tower and a space-suited test subject to study how astronauts' bodies would respond to Artemis landing forces.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Space
The Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing hosted a human-impact demonstration in Dayton supporting NASA's Artemis missions. A test subject in a space suit was dropped on the wing's deceleration tower to simulate a 4G pulse.
Why it matters
Astronauts may land while standing, and force can affect the body differently than when seated, making this testing relevant to crew safety. The findings will help NASA evaluate landing designs and the Orion Crew Survival System.
The demonstration simulated a 4G pulse against an expected lunar landing range of 2-4G, with impact lasting two milliseconds on a 50-foot tower. Measured responses from the test subject's body, head, and neck have not been released.
The players
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the U.S. Air Force's primary scientific research and development organization, with a long history of supporting aerospace survivability work.
NASA
NASA is the United States' civil space agency, leading the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon.
The details
A test subject wore a space suit while researchers measured body movement and force on his feet during a drop on the wing's 50-foot vertical deceleration tower. The team tracked how the body, head, and neck responded to determine how standing landings affect the body differently than seated ones.
Timeline
Friday (prior to November 6, 2026): Human-impact testing demonstration hosted at the wing's tower in Dayton.
Roadmap
AFRL has supported NASA human spaceflight from Apollo through current Artemis efforts for more than 50 years, and this demonstration extends that role to lunar landing forces. It places the lab's survivability expertise directly into the design decisions for Orion's crew survival system.
Future lunar missions will rely on this data to set safer landing standards for crews who may land standing up. The results could shape how spacecraft seats and suits are designed to limit injury from landing forces.
The takeaway
Landing forces on the Moon may affect astronauts differently depending on body position, so testing like this helps set safer standards before crews return. Understanding these forces early reduces risk for future missions.
Further reading
Explore more Space coverage from the Dayton region's research community.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WKEF.
