NASA has taken a bold and exciting step with its Artemis program. On the path to their long-delayed Artemis goal of landing astronauts on the Moon, they’ve added an extra mission before doing it for the first time in almost half a century. As the space agency prepares for the launch of Artemis II, in April 2024, four astronauts will spread their wings and circle the far side of the Moon, taking NASA and the world on a historical journey.
NASA has tapped Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch for the Artemis II mission. This mission will be dedicated to testing the spacecraft’s systems. Our aim should be to make sure that everything is working smoothly before we try a lunar landing with Artemis III in 2028. The initial trajectory plan would have had Artemis II fly around the Moon and directly approach a lunar landing trajectory. It was NASA’s decision to add this supplemental mission to lower risks.
With NASA’s Artemis III mission getting a bit more intimate and remaining in lunar-orbit proximity. Then in 2027, the crew would rehearse a docking with an American lunar lander while in low-Earth orbit. During crewed missions, astronauts will put the integrated systems of the Orion spacecraft and the lunar lander to the test. This kind of testing is important before they go much farther in space.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently won a controversial contract to develop a lunar lander. This new lander will be launching to the Moon on a SpaceX Starship rocket. The Artemis III docking in low-Earth orbit could involve one or both of the landers, providing further opportunities for testing.
Now NASA is changing its approach to respond to the heightened demand for the United States to return to the surface of the Moon. This move coincides with China’s ambitious plans for a crewed lunar landing by 2030. Both countries are targeting the Moon’s south pole as an ideal place to set up research bases. This has created a rush to claim the best real estate for exploration in the future.
Citizen astronaut Jared Isaacman, entrepreneur and spaceflight advocate on the need for those preparations. He stated:
“You don’t go from one uncrewed launch of SLS [Artemis I], wait three years, go around the Moon [Artemis II], wait three years and land on it.” – Jared Isaacman
When it comes to putting humans on the Moon, Isaacman reaffirmed the need for rigorous systems testing in a controlled environment before venturing out into space. He remarked:
“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
Well, so is NASA as it prepares for its next missions. The earliest launch opportunity for Artemis II is most likely no earlier than April 2024, but that will be determined by how long the technical work takes to complete. The agency intends to send its new Orion capsule and lunar lander into low-Earth orbit initially. This step will lower future lunar mission risk considerably.