After more than half a century, the US space research agency NASA is going to launch a manned mission to the moon again. The agency can launch a spacecraft to the moon in the first week of February. The spacecraft Artemis-2 is being prepared for that purpose. BBC News.
According to the report, as part of the preparation, NASA plans to take its huge Space Launch System (SLS) lunar rocket and Orion space capsule from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad on Saturday (January 17).
The astronauts participating in the nearly 10-day mission will go to a depth of space where no one has gone before. The goal of this mission is to pave the way for humans to land on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s.
The four-mile journey scheduled for Saturday on the Crawler-Transporter-2 may take up to 12 hours to complete. Once at the launch pad, engineers will begin preparations, including connecting power and fuel lines.
In late January, NASA will conduct a “wet dress rehearsal”—a test run of the rocket before launch. If any problems arise, the SLS and Orion could be returned to the VAB for repairs.
If all goes well, the earliest possible launch date could be February 6. But it’s not just the rocket that needs to be ready—the moon also needs to be in the right position. A specific launch date will be set accordingly.
In practice, this means that there is about a week at the beginning of each month when the rocket can be pointed in the right direction. Then there are three weeks of no launch opportunities. As a result, the possible launch dates are February 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11; March 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11; or April 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
The Artemis 2 mission will feature four crew members: NASA commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will also be on board as a second mission specialist. The mission will be the first to launch a human on the SLS rocket and Orion capsule.
After safely reaching orbit, the astronauts will test the Orion spacecraft’s controls and operations. They will practice manually guiding and aligning the capsule in Earth’s orbit in preparation for a future lunar landing mission.
They will then travel thousands of kilometers beyond the moon to a designated location where Orion’s life support system, engines, power and navigation systems will be tested. The astronauts themselves will perform medical tests and send back data and images from deep space.
They will work in a small cabin in a weightless environment. Radiation levels will be higher than at the International Space Station, but within safe limits. On their return to Earth, astronauts will make a bumpy journey through the atmosphere and land in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the United States.
The mission is intended to lay the groundwork for future Artemis 3 missions to land on the moon. NASA has said Artemis 3 will launch “no earlier than 2027.” However, experts say it may not actually be possible before 2028. The spacecraft that will be used to land on the moon has not yet been finalized. It could be SpaceX’s Starship Lander or a vehicle built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.
