To the Moon and past: NASA’s Artemis program

The Artemis program is NASA’s plan to return people to the Moon as a stepping stone for an eventual voyage to Mars.

Twelve males walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972 and one of many targets of Artemis is to place the primary lady and individual of shade on the lunar floor.

The first take a look at flight of an uncrewed Artemis rocket is to happen on Monday.

The title Artemis was chosen to echo that of the Apollo program.

Artemis, in Greek mythology, was the dual sister of Apollo and a goddess related to the Moon.

Here is an summary of the Artemis program:

Artemis 1: take a look at flight

Artemis 1 is a test flight of the 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew capsule that sits on prime.

Blastoff is scheduled for 8:33 am (1233 GMT) on Monday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Mannequins outfitted with sensors will take the place of crew members on the flight, recording vibration, acceleration and radiation levels.

Orion will orbit the Moon earlier than splashing down within the Pacific Ocean.

Artemis 2: first crew

Planned for 2024, Artemis 2 will probably be a crewed flight that can orbit the Moon however not land on the floor, much like what Apollo 8 did.

The 4 members of the crew will probably be named earlier than the top of the 12 months. A Canadian is predicted to be amongst them.

Artemis 3: Moon touchdown

The third Artemis mission would be the first to place astronauts on the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

NASA, for the primary time, will land a crewed spacecraft on the southern pole of the Moon, the place water within the type of ice has been detected.

Previous Moon landings happened close to the equator.

Artemis 3 is scheduled for 2025 however could not happen till 2026 on the earliest, in line with an impartial audit of this system.

Starting with Artemis 3, NASA plans to launch crewed missions about yearly.

SpaceX Moon lander

NASA has chosen Elon Musk’s SpaceX to construct the Moon lander for Artemis 3.

SpaceX’s Starship, which continues to be below improvement, will function a shuttle from the Orion crew capsule to the lunar floor and again.

Gateway space station

The Artemis program additionally requires the development of a space station referred to as Gateway that can orbit the Moon.

The launch of the primary two parts—the residing quarters module and energy and propulsion system—is deliberate for late 2024 on the earliest by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Orion crews could be liable for meeting of Gateway.

Astronauts would spend between 30 to 60 days in Gateway and would finally have entry to a lander that might enable them to journey to the Moon and again.

Gateway would additionally function a stopping level for any future journey to Mars.

Destination Mars

The final goal of the Artemis program is what NASA calls the “next giant leap—human exploration of Mars.”

NASA will use information gained from Artemis about subsequent technology spacesuits, autos, propulsion, resupply and different areas to organize for a visit to Mars.

The aim is to discover ways to keep a human presence in deep space for a protracted interval.

Creating a “base camp” on the Moon is a part of the plan with astronauts staying on the lunar surface for as much as two months.

While a visit to the Moon takes only a few days, a voyage to Mars would take a minimal of a number of months.

© 2022 AFP