NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro and Anke Kaysser-Pizalla, chairman of the DLR executive board (German Center for Air- and space travel), 16 June 2025 signed an agreement on the continuation of partnership in the field of space medicine research. According to this agreement, DLR will provide new radiation sensors for the Orion spacecraft of NASA's Artemis II mission. Artemis II is scheduled to launch in April 2026 year, this will be the first test flight with a crew.
The Artemis II mission's planned 10-day trip around the Moon and back will carry four DLR-designed M-42 extended radiation detectors (M-42 EXT), which will provide vital data to ensure the safety of astronauts. This next-generation device represents a new phase of research, as NASA and DLR continue to work together to protect human health in space.