To the Moon and past: NASA’s Artemis program

The Artemis program is NASA’s plan to return people to the Moon as a stepping stone for an eventual voyage to Mars.

Twelve males walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972 and one of many targets of Artemis is to place the primary lady and particular person of coloration on the lunar floor.

The primary check flight of an uncrewed Artemis rocket is to happen on Monday.

The identify Artemis was chosen to echo that of the Apollo program.

Artemis, in Greek mythology, was the dual sister of Apollo and a goddess related to the Moon.

Right here is an outline of the Artemis program:

Artemis 1: check flight

Artemis 1 is a check flight of the 322-foot (98-meter) House Launch System rocket and the Orion crew capsule that sits on high.

Blastoff is scheduled for 8:33 am (1233 GMT) on Monday from the Kennedy House Heart in Florida.

Mannequins outfitted with sensors will take the place of crew members on the flight, recording vibration, acceleration and radiation ranges.

Orion will orbit the Moon earlier than splashing down within the Pacific Ocean.

Artemis 2: first crew

Deliberate for 2024, Artemis 2 will probably be a crewed flight that may orbit the Moon however not land on the floor, much like what Apollo 8 did.

The 4 members of the crew will probably be named earlier than the top of the yr. A Canadian is anticipated to be amongst them.

Artemis 3: Moon touchdown

The third Artemis mission would be the first to place astronauts on the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

NASA, for the primary time, will land a crewed spacecraft on the southern pole of the Moon, the place water within the type of ice has been detected.

Earlier Moon landings befell close to the equator.

Artemis 3 is scheduled for 2025 however could not happen till 2026 on the earliest, based on an unbiased audit of this system.

Beginning with Artemis 3, NASA plans to launch crewed missions about every year.

SpaceX Moon lander

NASA has chosen Elon Musk’s SpaceX to construct the Moon lander for Artemis 3.

SpaceX’s Starship, which continues to be beneath improvement, will function a shuttle from the Orion crew capsule to the lunar floor and again.

Gateway house station

The Artemis program additionally requires the development of an area station referred to as Gateway that may orbit the Moon.

The launch of the primary two parts—the residing quarters module and energy and propulsion system—is deliberate for late 2024 on the earliest by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Orion crews could be answerable for meeting of Gateway.

Astronauts would spend between 30 to 60 days in Gateway and would ultimately have entry to a lander that may permit them to journey to the Moon and again.

Gateway would additionally function a stopping level for any future journey to Mars.

Vacation spot Mars

The final word goal of the Artemis program is what NASA calls the “subsequent large leap—human exploration of Mars.”

NASA will use data gained from Artemis about subsequent technology spacesuits, automobiles, propulsion, resupply and different areas to organize for a visit to Mars.

The purpose is to discover ways to preserve a human presence in deep house for a protracted interval.

Making a “base camp” on the Moon is a part of the plan with astronauts staying on the lunar floor for as much as two months.

Whereas a visit to the Moon takes only a few days, a voyage to Mars would take a minimal of a number of months.

© 2022 AFP