Yesterday, NASA took a big, exciting step in the right direction by revamping its Artemis program. They’re inserting one more test mission before astronauts finally return to the Moon for the first time in half a century. The United States is trying to counter increased international urging to get back to the moon. This urgency is compounded as China quickly builds upon their own budding lunar ambitions.
Unveiled in 2019, the Artemis missions plan to return humans to the Moon for the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The planned Artemis II red crew mission is in April. It’ll be carrying four astronauts—Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch—who will travel to the far side of the Moon and back before returning to Earth.
NASA had originally intended for Artemis II to just orbit the Moon. Then, they planned to touch down on the lunar surface with Artemis III in 2028. Yet the new implementation strategy shifts Artemis III to a lower emphasis on the lunar surface and back towards low-Earth orbit. With Artemis II in 2024, a crewed practice docking with a lunar lander will take place – an important move in ensuring the success of these missions.
We’ve seen Elon Musk’s SpaceX land the massive contract to develop this new lunar lander. Onboard the Moonbound lander it will be carried by a SpaceX Starship rocket. To execute the Artemis III mission, one or both landers will need to dock in low-Earth orbit. This strategy supports better safety and reduces risk associated with working on the lunar surface.
Jared Isaacman, one of the most influential people in the new era of commercial space, had been very supportive of this new approach.
“I would certainly much rather have the astronauts testing out the integrated systems of the lander and Orion in low-Earth orbit than on the Moon.” – Jared Isaacman
This change provides NASA with the opportunity to optimize its systems before proceeding with the added complexities of a lunar landing. NASA and China, too, are eyeing the Moon’s south pole for their expeditions. This expensive competition is forcing them to race to claim the most desirable locations to set up lunar colonies.
The next player in the game, China, is aiming for a lunar landing by 2030 and their advances are methodical. This forces NASA to rush the finalization of its own plans. Despite the October 2024 date that NASA has often repeated, the agency has conceded that the schedule for Artemis II depends on how quickly technical work progresses.