Humans are set to return to the Moon after more than 50 years, following the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s. NASA is preparing to launch its first crewed Artemis mission, which will pave the way for a future lunar landing.
The American space agency is gearing up to launch the Artemis II mission, which is expected to fly as early as the first week of February. The mission will last for about 10 days and will take humans farther into space than anyone has ever travelled before.
NASA prepares space launch system and Orion capsule
NASA is expected to reach the launch preparation stage as early as January 17, when it rolls out its massive Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket along with the Orion Space Capsule from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad.
The transfer of the rocket and capsule to the launch pad will take up to 12 hours, after which engineers will begin final launch preparations.
Wet dress rehearsal planned ahead of February launch
NASA will also conduct a wet dress rehearsal toward the end of January. This is a full pre-launch rehearsal designed to test all systems ahead of liftoff.
If everything goes according to plan, the launch could take place as early as February 6. In case NASA decides to postpone the February 6 launch, additional launch opportunities will be available at the beginning of each month until April, when the Moon will be in the correct position.
Artemis II crew and mission objectives
The first crewed flight of the SLS and Orion will include:
- NASA commander Reid Wiseman
- Pilot Victor Glover
- Mission specialist Christina Koch
- Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency
While in orbit, astronauts will test Orion’s steering capabilities by manually flying the spacecraft in Earth orbit. The crew will then travel thousands of kilometres beyond the Moon to test Orion’s life-support, propulsion, power, and navigation systems.
The astronauts will send back data and imagery from deep space before completing the mission with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the west coast of the United States.
Artemis II will not land on the Moon
Astronauts on the Artemis II mission will not land on the Moon, but the mission will lay critical groundwork for a future lunar landing under Artemis III.
NASA has said that the Artemis III mission will not take place earlier than 2027, as several key systems required for the mission are still under development.
Artemis III, Moon landing plans and future missions
NASA has yet to make a final decision between SpaceX’s Starship lander and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin lander. In addition, new spacesuits from Axiom Space are also not yet ready.
The Artemis III mission will target the Moon’s south pole and aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon.
Looking ahead, future missions such as Artemis IV and Artemis V will focus on building the Gateway, a space station-like structure that will orbit the Moon. These missions will be followed by additional Moon landings and the deployment of robotic rovers on the lunar surface.
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