NASA’s Artemis Program: Crewed Mission Around the Moon Set for November 2024

NASA has revealed that it is making progress towards launching a crewed mission around the Moon in November of next year. The US space agency provided an update on the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the historic Apollo missions in 1972.

In December 2021, the first Artemis mission concluded successfully with an uncrewed Orion capsule returning safely to Earth after a 25-day journey around the Moon. Artemis 2 is scheduled for late November 2024 and will take a four-person crew around the Moon without landing on it. NASA associate administrator Jim Free has said that there is nothing holding them back based on what they learned from the first Artemis mission.

Later this year, NASA will reveal the Artemis 2 crew members, with only the information that one of them will be a Canadian known so far. Scheduled to take place about 12 months after Artemis 2, Artemis 3 will see astronauts land on the south pole of the Moon for the first time. NASA aims to establish a lasting human presence on the Moon and later launch a years-long trip to Mars.

As part of the Artemis missions, NASA plans to send a woman and a person of color to the Moon for the first time. The lunar lander being built by SpaceX and spacesuits are still in development. During its trip around Earth’s orbiting satellite and back, Orion logged well over a million miles and went farther from Earth than any previous habitable spacecraft.

Conclusion

In conclusion, NASA’s Artemis program is making significant strides in returning humans to the Moon for the first time since the historic Apollo missions in 1972. The success of the first Artemis mission and the upcoming crewed mission in November of next year marks a new chapter in space exploration. With plans to establish a lasting human presence on the Moon and eventually launch a trip to Mars, the Artemis program is paving the way for a brighter future in space exploration.

NASA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is also reflected in the program’s plan to send a woman and a person of color to the Moon for the first time. As we look forward to the future of space exploration, the Artemis program remains a source of excitement and inspiration for scientists, astronauts, and space enthusiasts around the world.