For the first time in more than 50 years, humans are preparing to travel close to the moon again. NASA’s Artemis 2 mission Four astronauts will be sent on a journey around the moon, marking an important step toward returning humans to the lunar surface.
What is Artemis 2? Why is it so important?
Artemis 2 is the second mission of NASA’s Artemis program, which was launched during Donald Trump’s first term. The main goal of the program is to return American astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
This mission won’t land on the moon, but it’s very important. It will help NASA test the technology, equipment and flight paths needed for future missions to send astronauts to the moon.
This mission is special for another reason. The four astronauts will travel further from Earth, which will be the farthest place humans have ever gone. They will fly 6,000 miles above the moon’s surface. From this distance, they will be able to see parts of the far side of the moon that even the Apollo astronauts never saw.
NASA says that from a distance, the moon appears to be about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length.
Also read: New ‘shear ratio’ method improves cosmic measurements
When will it be launched?
NASA plans to launch Artemis 2 There will be a two-hour slot on April 1 starting at 6:24 pm ET. In the event of delays due to weather or technical issues, alternate launch dates are April 2 to April 6 and April 30.
The mission was originally scheduled for February but was delayed due to hydrogen fuel leaks and helium flow issues in the Space Launch System rocket.
Rocket and Orion capsule
Astronauts will travel to space aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), a large rocket about 322 feet tall. It is built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Although it was a bit shorter than the old Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo missions, it was still more powerful. It produced 8.8 million pounds of thrust at launch, making it the most powerful rocket ever used by NASA.
The rocket is topped by the Orion crew module, built by Lockheed Martin. This is where astronauts sit during missions. The capsule isn’t very big, about 11 feet tall and 16.5 feet wide, but it has modern technology and strong safety features. It even has special storage spaces to protect astronauts from harmful solar radiation.
The mission will launch from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Another launch site is Launch Complex 39A, made famous by the Apollo 11 mission but currently closed because SpaceX is launching its Starship rocket there.
Also read: Bright meteor fireball lights up sky over Pittsburgh, Houston, CA – What causes repeated impacts?
Who’s on board?
Four astronauts will perform the mission. They arrived in Florida on March 27 and were quarantined before launch:
Reed Wiseman– He is the mission commander (leader of the team). Originally from Baltimore, he flew to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz rocket in 2014.
Victor Glover – He is a pilot from California who went to space on a SpaceX mission in 2020. He would be the first black astronaut to travel close to the moon.
Christina Koch– She is a mission specialist from Michigan who traveled to the International Space Station in 2019. She will be the first woman to approach the moon.
Jeremy Hanson– He is also a missionary expert from Canada. This will be his first time in space, and he will also be the first Canadian to travel close to the moon.
After completing its journey, the spacecraft will use Earth’s gravity to return home. The Orion capsule will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, deploy its parachutes, and land in the Pacific Ocean near California.
What happens next after Artemis 2?
NASA’s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 and eventually establish a base near the moon’s south pole that may contain water ice.
Future missions are already planned. Artemis 3 astronauts are expected to dock with a commercial lunar lander in 2027, while Artemis 4 astronauts could land on the moon as early as 2028.
NASA hopes that after Artemis 5, humans will be able to land on the moon more frequently.
