Left to right: Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Credit: NASA
NASA’s Artemis II mission looks to be as little as a couple of weeks away. The middle child of the three-part Artemis project, this mission will allow humans to swing by the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. It also hopes to pave the way for even more ambitious missions in the future.
Here’s a rundown on NASA’s plans to bring humanity back to the Moon.
What Are the Artemis Missions?
The last time humans went to the lunar surface was with Apollo 17 in 1972. Since then, NASA has not even sent a crewed orbiter to the Moon, preferring to focus on the ISS and other, less expensive options for crewed flight.
NASA worked on plans to return during the Obama administration, but the project couldn’t maintain funding or attention for long. In 2017, with the passage of the Space Policy Directive I, NASA was directed to prioritize the Moon. From that came the Artemis missions, repurposed from existing plans.
The Artemis II mission plan.
Credit: NASA
Artemis I was an uncrewed test flight successfully conducted in 2022. It gathered data about landing sites and, in particular, tested NASA’s new generation of launch vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS).
Now, Artemis II looks to take much the same path with a crew along for the ride. It’s a critical proof of the viability of both the SLS and the Orion capsule that will hold the crew. Artemis III will be the next step, using SpaceX’s Human Landing System (HLS) to put the crew on the lunar surface.
What Will Artemis Accomplish?
In addition to bringing humans by and to the Moon, Artemis will establish science experiments of its own. Much of this stems from the extended time spent on the Moon, with Artemis III calling for astronauts to spend about a week on the surface.
During this time, they’ll collect geological samples for analysis on the Moon and more for return to Earth. They’ll also do the early work required to localize water on the Moon, which will be critical for everything from cooling to hydrogen fuel production.
The enormous Space Launch System.
Credit: NASA
Artemis III will also survey the surface and identify the best sites for future infrastructure development that could help the agency move on to Mars, asteroids, and beyond.
It’s arguable whether Artemis exists more to prove the next generation of equipment or to achieve its own proximate goals. Either way, any of the agency’s ideas and plans for Mars and beyond will first require all three levels of the Artemis program to succeed.
When Is the Artemis II Launch?
Artemis II’s exact launch timing depends on several factors, including equipment checks and weather. There are several possible launch windows, with the earliest in the first days of February. Feb. 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11 were originally offered, but delays in the “wet dress rehearsal” have so far made the first two of those days unavailable.
Now, NASA thinks Feb. 8 is the earliest possible launch date, though that still requires a good dress rehearsal. If they can’t launch before Feb. 11, we’ll have to wait until March for another opportunity.
How to Watch the Artemis II Launch
NASA will livestream the event from its YouTube channel and its own media platform. There was a stream showing the rocket sitting on the launch pad, but that’s since ended; you’ll likely find it starts back up within a few days of launch.
We’ll keep you up to date on the progress of Artemis II and SpaceX’s Starship system, which will be critical to Artemis III.