More than 50 years after the last moon landing, NASA is sending four astronauts on a mission around the moon to pave the way for future deep-space exploration. The Artemis II rocket carrying the crew is scheduled to launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre on a 10-day journey, approaching but not landing on the moon.
NASA’s Associate Administrator, Amit Kshatriya, expressed confidence in the mission’s readiness after a brief delay last month. The upcoming mission aims to test the rocket and spacecraft in preparation for a planned moon landing in 2028. The crew, comprising diverse members, will not touch down on the moon but will orbit its far side.
The crew, led by NASA’s Reid Wiseman, includes an African American pilot, a female Mission Specialist, and a Canadian Space Agency Mission Specialist. The mission, named Artemis II, will follow a figure-8 pattern around the Earth and the moon, covering a distance of 7,400 kilometers.
The spacecraft will undergo various tests during the mission, including checking the Orion space module with the crew on board and evaluating manual controls and docking capabilities. After looping around the moon, the crew will return to Earth on April 10, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California. The mission is part of the US’s larger plan to establish a lunar base as a stepping stone for future Mars missions.
