NASA has revealed intentions to send astronauts on a journey around the Moon, with the rocket required for the mission already prepared. This would mark the first crewed lunar mission by any country in the past five decades and could pave the way for a potential voyage to Mars. The US space agency announced their plans for the Artemis II mission, which aims to send four astronauts around the Moon next year to facilitate future missions to the lunar surface and eventual Martian expeditions.
Initially targeting a launch by the end of April, NASA now aims to expedite the mission to February, with aspirations for a lunar landing as early as 2027. The ten-day voyage will involve astronauts testing the spacecraft and systems crucial for upcoming Moon landings. This mission will be the second launch under the Artemis program, which not only seeks to land astronauts on the Moon but also establish a sustained human presence there.
Lakiesha Hawkins, an acting deputy associate administrator at NASA, emphasized the significance of the mission in advancing human space exploration. During a recent news conference, Hawkins stated, “We together have a front-row seat to history,” highlighting the importance of safety as the top priority for the upcoming mission.
Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson confirmed that the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket designated for transporting astronauts, is nearly prepared for the mission. The remaining tasks include finalizing the crew capsule, Orion, connecting it to the SLS, and completing ground tests.
The previous Artemis mission in November 2022 lasted 25 days and involved an uncrewed spacecraft orbiting the Moon before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere safely. Despite encountering heat shield concerns during re-entry, these issues have since been addressed.
The crew for the upcoming Artemis II mission, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, will not land on the Moon but will become the first crew to travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Lead Artemis II flight director Jeff Radigan noted that the astronauts will venture at least 5,000 nautical miles (9,200 km) past the Moon, surpassing previous records.
During the mission, the crew will reside in the Orion capsule atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Following launch, the spacecraft’s boosters and rocket stages will separate, and Orion will deploy its solar panels for power. The astronauts will conduct system checks and practice spacecraft maneuvers in preparation for future Moon landings. Finally, Orion will ignite its engines to navigate towards the Moon, requiring four days to reach its destination while the crew continues testing operations.