NASA has its eyes set on the upcoming Artemis II mission, the next big step for human spaceflight in decades. This mission, named after the lunar goddess, is on schedule for a launch window that opens February 6, 2024. It will be the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft. An international team of astronauts and engineers will perform vital checkouts over the next ten days. These tests would be an important stepping-stone to supporting human lunar landings and operations.
Canada’s first astronaut, Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, will be one of four astronauts in the Artemis II crew. They’ll spend ten days in that limited living space, which is roughly the size of nine milk crates combined, aboard the Orion capsule. During the Apollo program and beyond, this mission has radically expanded the frontiers of human spaceflight. We’ll be launching astronauts farther into space than they’ve ever been before!
The crew will rehearse key operations along their voyage. They’ll conduct an Earth orbit test flight of the Orion spacecraft to fine-tune their steering and alignment techniques for their soon-to-be-launched Moon missions. They will travel tens of thousands of kilometers past the Moon. There, they’ll test Orion’s life-support, propulsion, power, and navigation systems. These evaluations are vital to ensuring the spacecraft’s readiness for future missions aimed at returning humans to the lunar surface.
The Artemis II mission is more than a glorified shakeout flight. Remember, Artemis I is about more than just science. It’s a key step toward returning humans to the Moon and returning humanity to lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s. Beyond this mission, Artemis IV and V will begin the construction of Gateway. This tiny space station will be in orbit around the Moon and will support our continued exploration endeavors.
NASA has just deployed its gigantic SLS Moon rocket and Orion Space Capsule from the VAB. They are ultimately what will get them launched and successfully sailing through the mission. A “wet” dress rehearsal, in which the rocket is fueled, will be held at the end of January, the last step in pre-launch testing. This practice run is an important opportunity to make sure everything is working as it should before recalibrating for the real launch.
Artemis II might launch on any of the below dates. These are February 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, March 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and April 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6. Provided that all goes according to schedule, February 6 would be the soonest possible launch date.
Astronauts can expect a jarring re-entry as they return to Earth. After that, they’ll splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the US west coast. All these details are part of the procedure’s objective: to put Orion through its paces in some demanding and complicated conditions.