As part of the "Artemis-2" mission, the US successfully launched a crewed spacecraft with four astronauts on board to the Moon tonight, for the first time since 1972. The journey around Earth's satellite is expected to take about 10 days, writes BBC.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Space Launch System rocket with the "Orion" spacecraft, carrying four astronauts, successfully launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
As part of the "Artemis-2" mission, the "Orion" spacecraft, whose crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will make one orbit around the Moon.
The 10-day expedition around the Moon and back will allow them to reach depths in space previously inaccessible to humans.
"This is Jeremy, we are embarking on a journey for all humankind," Hansen said minutes before launch.
"Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, on this historic mission, you carry with you the heart of the Artemis team, the bold spirit of the American people and our partners around the world, as well as the hopes and dreams of a new generation," launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told the crew. "Good luck, Artemis-2. Go!" she added.
Minutes after liftoff, as the astronauts began entering Earth's upper atmosphere, Commander Wiseman made contact. "What a view!" he said. "We have a wonderful moonrise."
After almost three years of preparation, the crew became the first to fly as part of NASA's Artemis program – a multi-billion dollar series of missions launched in 2017 to ensure a long-term US presence on the Moon over the next decade and beyond, Reuters notes.
The launch marked a significant milestone that the US space agency had been preparing for over 10 years. Key contractors, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, received confirmation that their systems could safely transport humans into space, while NASA increasingly relies on newer and cheaper rockets from Elon Musk's SpaceX and other companies.
The crewed "Orion" spacecraft, built for NASA by Lockheed Martin, will separate from the final stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket 3.5 hours into its flight in low Earth orbit.
After this, the crew will take manual control to test the spacecraft's maneuverability and perform the first of dozens of tasks planned throughout the mission.
The "Artemis-2" mission is a crucial first step in America's flagship lunar program, aiming for the first crewed landing on the lunar surface in 2028 as part of the planned "Artemis-4" mission.
NASA aims to achieve this lunar landing – the first since the last Apollo mission in 1972 – while China expands its lunar program, planning an astronaut landing in 2030.
As part of "Artemis-2", astronauts are expected to be approximately 406 thousand kilometers from Earth – this will be the farthest journey ever undertaken by humans.
The previous record – 330 thousand kilometers – belongs to the crew of the Apollo 13 mission, which encountered technical problems in 1970 after an oxygen tank explosion. The astronauts were then unable to make their planned lunar landing.
In 2022, NASA launched its first uncrewed Artemis mission, sending the "Orion" spacecraft on a similar route around the Moon and back.
"Artemis-2" will be a more serious test for "Orion" and the SLS rocket. Boeing and Northrop Grumman have been developing SLS since 2010. The program cost has increased from $2 billion to $4 billion per launch.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin are competing to develop lunar landers that NASA will use to deliver its astronauts to the lunar surface.
Comments