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The Colorado Army National Guard is playing a critical role in humanity’s return to the moon by partnering with NASA to train astronauts for the upcoming crewed missions to the moon’s south pole region.
At the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site near Vail, Colorado, military aviators use rugged Colorado terrain to replicate the challenging flight conditions of the lunar environment and help prepare crews to land safely on the moon’s surface.
Doug Wheelock, NASA astronaut and co-chair of the Human Landing System joint test panel, 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 astronauts learn to recognize and overcome visual tricks the landscape plays, 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.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ethan Jacobs, a HAATS instructor pilot, said 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 for perceived danger and the mental overload they will face while landing a spacecraft never 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.”
About 25 astronauts have completed the foundational training program through the partnership that started in summer 2021.
Future moon crews are scheduled to attend a two-week program at HAATS to practice teamwork and refine cockpit communication.
Wheelock emphasized how vital the Colorado Army Guard’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 Colorado Army National Guard just as much as NASA. Working alongside space agency experts gives Colorado Army National Guard pilots new flying perspectives, helping them sharpen their 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 Lt. Col. Muriel Missler, the 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 plans to complete its first crewed lunar landing in 2028.
—By Colorado National Guard
