In under two weeks, NASA will be sending a crew of astronauts on a special mission to the Moon as part of the Artemis 2 mission. Artemis 2 is the first crewed flight of a multi-launch program that will ultimately not only send crews to the Moon’s surface, but establish a new lunar space station.
The Artemis mission is NASA’s comprehensive program to return humans to the Moon, establishing a sustainable, long-term presence by the late 2020s for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and as preparation for Mars missions. It involves international and commercial partners to explore the lunar surface, specifically targeting the South Pole.
In December of 2017, President Donald Trump issued a directive to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to send American astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars, shifting the agency’s mission from the study of Earth and a longer-range plan to explore Mars. This marked a significant shift in space policy from the Obama administration, who had cut investment into human space flight to fund more climate change related work. In May of 2019, President Donald Trump President Trump unveiled a budget update which boosted NASA’s spending by $1.6billion to return to the Moon, laying the foundation for this latest launch towards the Moon. At the time, President Trump said, “Under my Administration, we are restoring NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars.”
Then-NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine welcomed the budget increase, saying, “This is the boost NASA needs to move forward with putting the next man and the first woman on the Moon. Thank you, President Trump!” Bridenstine added that this $1.6billion figure serves as a “down payment” to move forward with design, development & exploration with the goal of bringing men and women back to the surface of the moon. In addition to funding for a human lunar landing system, it also helps fund robotic exploration of the Moon’s polar regions.
The hope was the United States would be back on the Moon by 2024, but many program delays and a change in the White House administration and its priorities resulted in additional delays. With Trump back in office, the program is proceeding.
“Imagine the possibility waiting in those big beautiful stars if we dare to dream big. That’s what our country is doing again, we’re dreaming big,” the President said. “This is a giant step toward that inspiring future and toward reclaiming America’s proud destiny in space and space has so much to do with so many other applications including a military application.”
NASA says the name for this updated Moon mission will be “Artemis.” According to Greek mythology, Artemis was the daughter of Leto and Zeus, and the twin of Apollo. She is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals, and fertility; Artemis is also considered as one of the helpers of midwives as a goddess of birth. The original Moon landing project was known as the “Apollo Mission.” Bridenstine says Artemis will bring not only men to the Moon, but women too.
Artemis 1 launched on November 16, 2022, at 1:47 am. The uncrewed mission lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, utilizing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to send the Orion spacecraft on a 25-day journey around the Moon. This uncrewed mission was a test for both the SLS rocket and the Orion space capsule that’ll become crewed in the upcoming mission.
The next mission, Artemis 2, will use the same type of rocket and capsule to send a crew around the Moon. That launch is currently scheduled for the evening of February 6 at 9:41 pm, although NASA cautions that is the earliest launch could occur and the time could shift a bit later. The 10-day mission will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hensen on a free-return trajectory around the Moon and back to Earth. This flight will take the crew farther from Earth than any previous human mission before re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere at a record speed of approximately 25,000 mph. On January 18, the SLS rocket topped with the Orion capsule was rolled-out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
If Artemis 2 doesn’t launch as planned on February 6, backup opportunities are available in February, March and April. NASA has emphasized that it will launch the astronauts only when all systems are ready, as safety comes before any schedule.
After Artemis 2 comes an even more ambitious mission: Artemis 3 will send the first humans to explore the region near the South Pole of the Moon.
And more ambitious yet will be Artemis 4, which debuts humanity’s first lunar space station, a larger, more powerful version of the SLS rocket, and a new mobile launcher.
There are a variety of ways to watch the launch unfold.
Those wishing to view Artemis II from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex must purchase one of the two launch viewing packages below. No other form of admission, including annual passes, will be valid for launch viewing. The first and closest viewing spot was available for $250; that is now sold out. For $99, people can view the launch from the main visitor complex where the rocket will be visible once it clears the tree line seconds after launch. Those tickets can be purchased here: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/event/nasa-space-launch-system-sls-artemis-ii/.
Most television networks and cable news stations will also carry the broadcast live and on-line. There will also be comprehensive online/on-air coverage by NASA TV.
There are also viewing parties being set-up around the country. One such event will be held at Space Center Houston, the official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Texas. The $15 ticket to attend that event includes a commemorative Artemis II Launch Party t-shirt. Tickets can be purchased here: https://spacecenter.org/artemis-launch-party/ .
