You can help NASA name the mannequin heading to the moon - CNN

When NASA's Orion spacecraft takes off for the uncrewed Artemis I moon mission currently slated to launch this November, its commander's seat won't be empty: A mannequin -- outfitted with two radiation sensors and a first-generation Orion Crew Survival System spacesuit -- will be riding along to provide data on what human crew members might experience during the Artemis II spaceflight in 2023.

While the mannequin has a goal, it doesn't yet have a name.

"We look forward to the final name selected for the moonikin and encourage people to follow along as we work toward a long-lasting presence on and around the Moon and get ready for the first mission to Mars."

Why a mannequin is going to space

Engineers will compare Artemis I flight data with previous ground-based tests conducted with the same mannequin and human subjects, NASA has said, to prepare for Artemis II.

"It's critical for us to get data from the Artemis I manikin to ensure all of the newly designed systems, coupled with an energy dampening system that the seats are mounted on, integrate together and provide the protection crew members will need in preparation for our first crewed mission on Artemis II," said Jason Hutt, NASA's lead for Orion Crew Systems Integration, in a statement.

One emergency situation for which the mannequin has been tested is whether astronauts could safely escape their seats if they were stuck upside down in water after splashdown, Hutt said.

Also accompanying the "Moonikin" during Artemis I are Helga and Zohar, two female-bodied, model human torsos called "phantoms" that will sit in the two lower seats on Orion.