COLORADO IS TRAINING SITE FOR MOON LANDINGS

Gypsum - in the mountains of northern Colorado - is the site of astronaut training for NASA's Artemis upcoming moon landings.

Astronauts simulate lunar landings in Colorado National Guard helicopters in the rugged terrain of the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, also known as HAATS. 

The first manned Artemis mission - a lunar orbital test flight - is set for next month and the giant rocket, pictured here, was moved Saturday to the Florida launch pad once used for Apollo moon missions in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Our full-time Colorado Army National Guard pilots have thousands of flight hours navigating the Rocky Mountains at altitudes ranging from 6,500 to 14,200 feet, and we are reaching new heights by providing realistic and relevant training with NASA for Artemis,” National Guard First Sergeant Joshua Smith said.

“Our Colorado Army National Guard pilots may not fly around the Moon, but we wear our motto, de monitbus ad astra - from the mountains to the stars - with pride,” Smith said.

Astronauts pilot LUH-72 Lakota, CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk choppers in training. "While one astronaut pilots the aircraft, an astronaut in the back charts the landing area, marking key landmarks, identifying potential hazards, and helping to track the flight path," NASA said.

Gypsum is located in Eagle County.

[Photo: NASA]