In a thrilling moment, a team of four brave astronauts, including Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, embarks on a 10-day journey to the moon. The launch took place at 6:35 p.m. ET on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center, marking the first crewed mission to the moon in 50 years.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman stated in a press conference after the launch that NASA is resuming sending astronauts to the moon after a hiatus of 54 years. The crew of Artemis II will spend a day in Earth’s orbit, conducting checks on their capsule before igniting the main engine to propel them towards the moon, covering a distance of approximately 405,000 kilometers into space.
Following a successful trajectory, the crew will perform a flyby of the moon without landing in about six days. NASA aims to use this mission as a stepping stone for future expeditions that will include landing astronauts on the lunar surface.
During the ongoing mission, the astronauts are evaluating the systems on the Orion spacecraft. Here are some key goals of the Artemis II mission:
After the launch, the solid rocket boosters detached and descended into the ocean, followed by the core stage. The crew will not head directly to the moon but will orbit Earth for around 25 hours. One objective during this phase is to test the maneuverability of the Orion spacecraft.
The interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) will elevate Orion into a high-Earth orbit before separating from the spacecraft about four and a half hours post-launch. The crew will maneuver the capsule close to the ICPS to assess handling capabilities before the ICPS re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and lands in the Pacific Ocean.
Approximately five hours into the mission, four experiments on CubeSats will be deployed. On the second day, the crew will execute a translunar injection burn to set their course towards the moon.
The astronauts will engage in various tasks, including system testing and experiments that commenced before liftoff. These experiments involve studying the effects of space on the human body. Additionally, they will demonstrate CPR in zero gravity and test communications through NASA’s Deep Space Network.
As the mission progresses, the crew will conduct radiation shielding tests, manual piloting of Orion, and evaluate a garment designed to assist in blood flow regulation. The return on the tenth day will be a crucial test of Orion’s heat shield, addressing issues encountered during the uncrewed Artemis I mission.
The astronauts will also test an exercise wheel, explore laser communications, and establish ship-to-ship communications between Orion and astronauts aboard the International Space Station. These activities are part of the preparation for upcoming missions to the moon’s surface under the Artemis program, with Artemis IV anticipated to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028.