NASA’s Artemis II mission is about to be a part of history. Currently scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This major mission is scheduled for launch by the end of April. It will be about a ten-day mission and it will be the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft. The crew will be on a journey that will take them farther into space than any human has traveled.
The Artemis II astronauts will have to get used to living in a cramped space of just over nine cubic meters. They’ll spend the whole lifetime of their mission there. This first-of-its-kind, uncrewed mission will be a flight test for many essential systems on the Orion spacecraft, such as life-support, propulsion, power and navigation systems. Regardless of the mission’s outcome, this time around is a very impressive technical achievement. It serves as the foundation for future crewed lunar landings on the moon’s south pole.
While they’re in flight, the Artemis II crew will travel along an unprecedented figure-eight orbital path around the Moon. This trajectory is designed to allow the astronauts to gather essential data about how the Orion spacecraft operates in deep space. Now, NASA is on a mission to measure exactly how well the spacecraft performed. This will be done in a radiation environment much more punishing than that currently experienced on the International Space Station. These concentrations continue to fall well below hazardous levels for any crew member.
Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency has been chosen as one of four astronauts to participate in this historic mission. This decision represents a significant public-private partnership with partners worldwide. NASA is getting ready for upcoming Artemis missions! They’d begin construction on Artemis IV and V, as well as building Gateway, a small space station, which will orbit the Moon. This station will act as an important staging ground to enable future, more ambitious lunar exploration.
The coming Artemis II mission will be a major step toward returning and eventually sustaining a human presence on the Moon. This new experience and data will be critical to supporting future missions. They will set the stage for humans to reestablish a presence on the lunar surface. European astronauts and Japanese party members will participate in forthcoming Artemis missions. It’s the largest step forward in agreement among the world’s space agencies yet.
As NASA gets ready for this historic launch, the sky is the limit for what this mission might usher in when it comes to space exploration. The Artemis II astronauts are ready to push the boundaries of human exploration as we journey to deep space. Their story will continue to inspire words for generations to come.