In over 50 years, humans haven’t walked on the Moon. NASA is currently working on lunar exploration missions called Artemis missions. Since the first missions that landed humans on the Moon were the Apollo missions, we find it interesting that these missions are named after Apollo’s mythological twin sister. What are these missions all about? Has any mission been completed yet? Let’s get answers!
The objective of the Artemis missions
NASA Artemis missions aren’t just about ‘following’ in the steps of the Apollo missions. While the Apollo 17 crew was on the Moon for three days, the Artemis missions have bigger goals. It aims to extend human stay to weeks (or months).
The lunar missions have a goal of taking humans to the Moon by the middle of the decade; it’s not about getting to the Moon. It’s about staying there. The Artemis missions seek to solidify bases on the Moon’s surface and in lunar orbit.
The first Artemis mission
Called Artemis 1(formerly called Exploration Mission-1), the first Artemis mission was uncrewed. The sole purpose of Artemis 1 was to test the Orion module and the Space Launch System, the super heavy-lift rocket that will carry astronauts into space.
Artemis 1 orbited 130 km above the Moon’s surface, proceeding about 64,373 km into deep space. Mannequins wearing the space suit that astronauts would wear in the two successive missions were also aboard. Landing on the Pacific Ocean on December 11, Artemis 1 ended.
Artemis 2- another pioneering spaceflight
While Artemis 1 was an uncrewed flight, Artemis 2 will be a crewed spaceflight that will take humans the farthest they’ve ever been in space. The crew will go 8889 km beyond the Moon, flying the Orion module, after being launched on the SLS rocket.
Set to launch in November 2024, Artemis 2 will take eight to ten days. The four-person crew includes Victor Glover(pilot), Christina Koch(mission specialist), Jeremy Hansen(mission specialist), and Reid Wiseman(commander). The mission will also collect relevant flight test data on the Orion module.
Artemis 3- breaking and setting records
Artemis 3 is the third Artemis mission, but it will be the first human landing on the Moon since the 1972 Apollo mission. The mission will take two of the four astronauts to the South Pole of the Moon- a region humans have never reached.
These two astronauts will be the first person of color and the first woman to land on the Moon. They will also perform water-ice sampling and other experiments. The other two will fully orbit the Moon for 6.5 days before joining their colleagues.
Looking further into the future
Artemis 4 and 5 will also collect more samples and do further surface science. Well, that’s not even the end. NASA is making plans for many more missions, up to Artemis 13. Aside from lunar explorations, does NASA have long-term plans?
As you were already expecting, the answer is ‘Yes.’ According to NASA, the Artemis mission will set the foundation for agencies to build a lunar settlement, further paving the way for human landing on Mars. Mars landing takes longer than a lunar landing, but it’s not impossible.
