National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

National Aeronautics and ILLUSTRATE NASA’S JOURNEY TO THE MOON Space Administration

SCaN Comic Activity

NASA is going to the Moon to learn how to eventually live on Mars! Through the Artemis missions, 

NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. Along with their fellow 

astronauts, they will explore the Moon’s South Pole and learn to live and work around the Moon.

Throughout their journey, NASA missions and astronauts must communicate with mission control 

on Earth. NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program operates the Deep 

Space Network and Near Space Network to ensure explorers can always call 

home. These networks also enable missions to send back important science 

information - like pictures and videos! NASA currently uses radio waves to 

communicate information to and from spacecraft, but the agency is testing the 

use of invisible laser light to send more data at once! NASA is also creating 

LunaNet, an “internet” on the Moon that will allow explorers and missions to 

easily communicate with each other and Earth. This will be similar to what 

humans experience on Earth. To learn more, check out the resources below.

Illustrate the adventures of NASA’s Artemis 

astronauts by creating your own comic.

DEVELOP THE STORY

On the next page, you’ll find script 

options. Choose which text to use and 

which text to remove, consider adding 

your own!

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Consider other creative ways to show the 

story. Not every image must be literal.

CREATE FIRST; EDIT LATER

Do a rough draft before making your 

final copy.

SKETCH SIMPLY

Use scratch paper to draw your comic. 

Use shapes, lines, colors, and symbols to 

represent your ideas.

EXPERIMENT & EXPLORE

Don’t be afraid to start over with a fresh 

page if you don’t like the way it’s shaping 

up!

RELAX. HAVE FUN!

Don’t worry about making the 

perfect comic. Have fun with your 

ideas and drawings. 

RESOURCES

NASA Networks

go.nasa.gov/3py6BER

LunaNet

go.nasa.gov/3qvFpG9

SCaN Educational Resources

go.nasa.gov/3EAEzwL

First Woman Graphic Novel

go.nasa.gov/3FCpfRy

Deep Space Communications Educator Guide

go.nasa.gov/3J68waI

HOW WILL YOU CONTRIBUTE TO ARTEMIS?

Consider adding yourself or your friends

to the story as mission controllers, 

astronaut trainers, radio operators, 

astronauts, or other contributors.

Submit scans of your comic to 

GSFC-SCaN-engagement@mail.nasa.gov

and you could be featured on NASA’s social media!

Many thanks to Evan Keeling from the Smithsonian 

Institution’s Exhibit Design team for sharing his original 

implementation of this activity with us.

www.nasa.gov NP-2022-4-756-GSFC (1/6)
ILLUSTRATE NASA’S JOURNEY TO THE MOON

SCaN Comic Activity

SCRIPT OPTIONS

Astronauts train for years to prepare for their journey 

into space.

NASA’s Artemis missions will see the first woman and 

first person of color on the Moon!

Astronauts launch on the Space Launch System, the 

most powerful rocket ever built.

Astronauts live in the Orion spacecraft on the way to the 

Moon.

During their journey, astronauts talk to mission control 

through radio waves and laser light systems!

Ground antennas and in-space relays connect with 

missions to gather important information like health, 

safety, and science data.

Using navigation, later missions will dock with NASA’s 

Gateway, an orbiting laboratory for astronauts to live 

and work.

Choose scripts for your comic from the sequential options below, or make up your own!

Then a human landing system takes astronauts down to the Moon’s 

surface. 

On the Moon, astronauts conduct experiments and collect data and 

samples.

LunaNet, “internet” on the Moon, allows astronauts to stay 

connected to Earth as they explore.

The human landing system takes astronauts back to Gateway and 

they board Orion to prepare for take-off to Earth.

The Orion spacecraft journeys back to Earth, blasting through the

atmosphere.

The capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean and the astronauts

return home.

NASA sends astronauts to the Moon to practice before going to 

Mars!

REFERENCE IMAGES

If you want more reference images for visual pieces to include in your comic, check out https://images.nasa.gov/.

Here are some keywords to get your searches started: Artemis, Orion Spacecraft, Gateway, Antenna, and International Space Station.

National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

www.nasa.gov NP-2022-4-756-GSFC (2/6)

Astronauts training in the Neutral 

Buoyancy Lab

Advanced spacesuits

Orion spacecraft

Gateway

The Space Launch System

The Starship human 

landing system for 

Artemis III

An example of a possible lunar 

lander for future Artemis missions

LunaNet

The Orion capsule slows down while The Orion capsule splashing down safely

re-entering Earth’s atmosphere

Antennas in White Sands, NM
20242028231513114

ILLUSTRATE NASA’S JOURNEY TO THE MOON

SCaN Comic Activity

ARTIST FIRST NAME:

AGE:

LOCATION:

COMICS

MAKING THE

CONNECTION CONNECTION

THE ARTEMIS GENERATION

KEEPING OUR EXPLORERS

CONNECTED TO HOME

GSFC-SCaN-engagement@mail.nasa.govSubmit scans of your comic covers to

National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

www.nasa.gov NP-2022-4-756-GSFC (3/6)
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

ILLUSTRATE NASA’S 

JOURNEY TO THE MOON

Submit scans of your comic panels to GSFC-SCaN-engagement@mail.nasa.gov

ARTIST FIRST NAME, AGE:

LOCATION:

www.nasa.gov NP-2022-4-756-GSFC (4/6)
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

ILLUSTRATE NASA’S 

JOURNEY TO THE MOON

Submit scans of your comic panels to GSFC-SCaN-engagement@mail.nasa.gov

ARTIST FIRST NAME, AGE:

LOCATION:

www.nasa.gov NP-2022-4-756-GSFC (5/6)
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

ILLUSTRATE NASA’S 

JOURNEY TO THE MOON

Submit scans of your comic panels to GSFC-SCaN-engagement@mail.nasa.gov

ARTIST FIRST NAME, AGE:

LOCATION:

www.nasa.gov NP-2022-4-756-GSFC (6/6)