NASA’s crewed Artemis II mission is currently scheduled for an early April 2024 launch. This milestone will be its first crewed flight, aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion deep space capsule. This mission will be over a span of 10 days. Its purpose is to launch astronauts further into deep space than any human has set foot!
The Artemis II mission will take an exciting figure-of-eight shaped orbital path of the Moon. This upcoming trip will feature a crucial lunar flyby. During this journey, the crew will spend their time in a living space of about nine cubic meters, testing the capabilities of the Orion spacecraft. The astronauts will get to manually fly the capsule in Earth orbit, performing vital maneuvers needed for later crewed lunar landings.
As the crew performs spacecraft operations, they will return valuable science data and show captivating imagery. They will be the first long-term medical test subjects in deep space. Their experiences will be an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the health impacts of prolonged space travel, laying the groundwork for even longer missions in the future.
Artemis II will set the stage for an eventual, sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. This mission will be the first such landing since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s. Following Artemis II, NASA intends to start carrying astronauts back to the Moon. They’ll be improving the Lunar Gateway and launching new robotic rovers to further examine the Moon’s surface.
The Artemis II launch had been targeted for March. A technical issue, highlighted by a hydrogen fuel leak, required a delay and terminated a pre-flight test early. In the past few days, the possible launch dates have moved to April 1, 3, 4, 5, or 6.
Once their mission is done, the astronauts must survive a daunting re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere. They will eventually splash down in the Pacific Ocean, off the U.S. west coast. Beyond the technical achievements, this mission is a monumental leap in human space exploration. It lays the foundation for future missions such as Artemis V, planned for 2028, that will help to create a long-term human presence on the Moon.