The free-return trajectory will form a figure-eight around Earth and the Moon, and the Artemis 2 mission is expected to last about 10 days. This approach will bring the craft to within about 6,400 miles (10,000 km) of the Moon’s farside - and allow it to return to Earth even if the craft experiences an engine failure. Once they receive approval to set course for the Moon, the four members of the Artemis 2 crew will embark on humanity’s first trip to the Moon’s neighborhood since 1972.Īrtemis 2 will not land on or orbit the Moon, but will instead use several lunar-destination burns and course corrections to achieve a so-called free-return trajectory. The spacecraft’s orbit around Earth will be highly elliptical, ranging in altitude from about 115 miles (185 kilometers) to 46,000 miles (74,000 km) above Earth’s surface. During this stage, the crew will also test their ability to rendezvous with the SLS’s Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, which will serve as valuable practice for future docking maneuvers needed in later Artemis missions. However, there’s always a chance that issues crop up that force delays.Īfter Artemis 2 launches and before the crew sets course for the Moon, the crew will spend a day or so carrying out systems checks in Earth orbit.
Artemis 2 mission profile: A trip to the MoonĪrtemis 2 is currently slated to launch in November 2024. The Artemis crew will begin their training in June 2023. Meanwhile, NASA and Navy personnel will continue prepping for an Artemis 2 splashdown that involves humans, not just sensor-laden mannequins. The SLS core stage and boosters will arrive at the Kennedy Space Center later in 2023. The SLS core stage is nearly finished, and its four RS-25 engines will be installed soon. The mobile launcher for Artemis 2 will be tested this summer, along with emergency crew egress procedures. Then the European Space Agency service module will be linked to the Orion module. The Orion capsule’s heat shield will be mated to the craft in May 2023. And there were a few capsule power switches that operated without command.īut nothing is currently preventing the Artemis 2 mission from pushing forward.Īvionics used during Artemis 1 have already been rehabbed for use in Artemis 2. The first launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) - the world’s most powerful rocket - also damaged the launchpad, requiring modifications to blast shields, instrumentation, and more. Artemis 2: Preparing for humanity’s return to the MoonĪrtemis 1 worked pretty much to spec, though the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield ablated differently from predictions, and engineers are still studying the phenomenon. The Artemis 2 crew, from left to right: Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch.īut before Artemis 2 launches, there’s a lot to accomplish. Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen - A former fighter pilot and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut who has led astronaut training for the CSA and NASA for several years, Hansen will be embarking on his first spaceflight. Mission Specialist Christina Koch - Spending 328 days aboard the ISS, Koch currently holds the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman. Pilot Victor Glover - The pilot of the first operational SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to the ISS in 2020, Glover also served as flight engineer for Expedition 64. He was on Expedition 41 to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014. The Artemis 2 crew members are:Ĭommander Reid Wiseman - A former chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office, Wiseman will be making his second flight to space. This week, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announced the four Artemis 2 astronauts who will spearhead humanity’s first trip to the Moon in more than 50 years. With the success of NASA’s uncrewed Artemis 1 lunar-orbital mission late last year, and with preparations already underway for a crewed Moon landing during Artemis 3 in 2025, the next major step in the Artemis program is set to occur next year: the Artemis 2 lunar flyby, which will send a four-person crew on a 10-day trip around the Moon, is scheduled for November 2024. During the mission, the Orion crew capsule, seen in this illustration carrying out a trans-lunar injection, will bring humans back to the Moon's neighborhood for the first time in more than 50 years. Artemis 2 is currently set to launch in late 2024.
0 kommentar(er)
