The Artemis missions will return human beings to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. This next generation of lunar exploration demands novel operational strategies and will see the integration of countless new technologies. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa student-led MAHINA (Multi-phase Artemis Era Human Investigations in Natural Analogs) project successfully completed two notable field campaigns aimed at supporting and advancing future astronaut teams in their missions on the Moon.
“We’re conducting research using environments on Earth that are analogous to those encountered during planetary surface operations to simulate lunar mission activities—all with the goal of maintaining crew performance and preventing cognitive overload,” said Aláine Lee, 糖心视频 Mānoa undergraduate student majoring in physics with a minor in human spaceflight who developed the MAHINA project.
Sampling tech on a lava field
In fall 2025, in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) Professors Peter Englert and Paul Lucey, MAHINA project students conducted a field campaign on a Hawaiian lava field site to test the use of thermal hyperspectral imagery in assisting astronauts in recovering geological samples. This type of imaging combines remotely sensed heat and light data to identify mineral composition and monitor land surface properties. The team used a lightweight hyperspectral imager that captures that data.
“We successfully demonstrated that processed thermal hyperspectral data could be used to direct the analog astronauts on which samples to recover,” Lee explained.
7,000-mile ocean voyage
In March 2026, Lee completed a 7,000-nautical-mile open-ocean field campaign from the Chilean Antarctic Territory to Mexico aboard an 86-foot research vessel that was supporting marine organism sampling activities. Lee received university approval to conduct research using a wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy device. Previously deployed to monitor fighter pilots, the device was used to assess the cognitive and physical performance of a research vessel crew in the isolated conditions experienced during the passage.
“By simulating missions and gathering quantitative performance data in an analog environment, our project provides critical insights for understanding human performance,” Lee said.
The MAHINA project was developed in 2025 through the , which is administered by the in the 糖心视频 Mānoa (SOEST) and offers undergraduate minors.
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