NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) have announced four astronauts who will board the Artemis II lunar mission.
This will be the first manned mission on NASA’s path to a long-term presence on the Moon for science and exploration.
The first Artemis mission launched in September. The successful unmanned mission tested the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket that will carry the Orion spacecraft that astronauts will fly on future Artemis launches.
December 2022 will mark 50 years since man last set foot on the moon, and Artemis represents the next frontier of space travel.
When will Artemis II be on the market?
Artemis II will be launched in November 2024. The exact date has not yet been confirmed. The flight takes about 10 days.
The Orion spacecraft will be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the crew should reach the far side of the Moon in four days.
They will do some testing on Orion as it orbits the moon, but they won’t land – that will have to wait until the Artemis III mission, which is expected in 2025.
The crew will travel approximately 6,400 miles before returning to Earth. Orion will land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, where a NASA rescue team will bring the astronauts ashore.
What is the purpose of Artemis II?
NASA says the Artemis II flight test “will launch the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, demonstrate the life support systems of the Orion spacecraft, and validate the skills and techniques humans need to navigate space.”
The Artemis missions will eventually carry the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon, with the ultimate goal of a possible manned mission to Mars.
NASA said: “With the Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first black person on the Moon, using innovative technology to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
“We will work with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon.
“Then we use what we learned on and around the Moon to take the next big leap: send the first astronauts to Mars.”
Who are the Artemis II astronauts?
NASA astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen make up the mission’s crew of four.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: “The Artemis II crew is made up of thousands of people working tirelessly to get us to the stars. This is their team, this is our team, this is the team of humanity.”
For Wiseman, Glover and Koch, this will be the second flight into space, while Hansen will make his first flight into orbit.
“I’m very proud that this brave four will take our missions to the Moon and beyond,” said Norm Knight, mission director at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“They represent exactly what an astronaut corps should be: a combination of highly skilled and talented individuals with the skills and determination to take on any challenge as a team. The Artemis II mission will be challenging, and we will test our capabilities as we prepare to land future astronauts on the moon. With Reed, Victor, Christina and Jeremy at the helm, I have no doubt that we are ready to take on any challenge that comes our way.”
Source: I News
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