- Artemis II is NASA's first crewed lunar mission since Apollo, planned for April 1 launch
- Four astronauts will travel on Orion spacecraft via Space Launch System rocket
- Mission aims to study astronaut health and support future Moon and Mars exploration
NASA is preparing for the launch of Artemis II, the first crewed flight in its Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon and eventually reaching Mars. The Artemis II mission astronauts will be the first humans to fly by the Moon in more than 50 years.
“Artemis II builds on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022, and will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions,” NASA explained on its website.
For this 10-day planned mission, four crew members will travel on the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft. The launch is scheduled no earlier than April 1, NASA said.
NASA Artemis II Mission Launch Date And Time
The countdown has begun for the Artemis II moon mission at the US-based Kennedy Space Center. The space agency plans liftoff no earlier than April 1 at 6:24 p.m. EDT, (April 2 at 3:54 a.m. IST).
NASA Artemis II Mission Objectives
Artemis II mission related science operations will lay the foundation for safe and efficient human exploration of the Moon and Mars. "The Artemis II mission will carry astronauts farther from Earth and closer to the Moon than any human has been in over half a century. From this unique vantage point and environment, the Artemis II crew will work with scientists on Earth to facilitate science investigations to inform future human spaceflight missions," NASA explained.
Based on Artemis II, NASA will study astronaut health to understand effects of deep space on body and mind. These findings will help scientists in planning safety measures, improve mission protocols and support future human journeys to the Moon and Mars.
Destination
The Moon, a 4.5-billion-year-old time capsule, remains preserved in space and will serve as the key destination for the mission. During Artemis II, astronauts will travel farther from Earth than any crew in decades, acting as both explorers and research subjects.
Astronauts On Artemis II
The Artemis II crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, remain present in crew quarters at Kennedy Space Centre. Ahead of launch, they are focusing on final readiness checks and technical verification for this mission.
While Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch are NASA astronauts, Jeremy Hansen will represent the Canadian Space Agency. Wiseman, a naval aviator, will serve as the mission's Commander.
Several international partners will also join Artemis II. Space agencies from Germany, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Argentina will launch CubeSats aboard Artemis II for separate research. The German Aerospace Center will also study radiation, according to NASA.
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