NASA is preparing for a potentially historic return to lunar space, with the Artemis 2 mission targeted for liftoff in early February. This will be the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis programme and the first human mission to travel around the moon since 1972.
Artemis 2 will carry astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day mission. The crew will orbit the moon and return to Earth, marking a major test of the Orion spacecraft with humans on board in deep space. The mission is designed to pave the way for future lunar landings and support NASA’s long-term plan to establish a sustained human presence on the moon.
According to a NASA report, mission teams have already completed multiple dress rehearsals at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the mission, Orion will launch with the crew and travel on a distant trajectory around the moon before heading back to Earth. A critical engine firing, known as the translunar injection burn, will place Orion on a free-return path. This trajectory allows the spacecraft to loop around the moon and return safely to Earth even if technical issues arise.
The spacecraft will not enter lunar orbit. Instead, the mission will focus on testing Orion’s systems, navigation, and operational procedures with astronauts on board in deep space conditions.
Artemis 2 follows the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission and is part of a broader programme with an estimated cost of $50 billion. Improvements made to the Orion spacecraft after Artemis 1 are aimed at keeping the mission on schedule.
NASA is currently carrying out final checks and rehearsals involving the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft ahead of rollout to Launch Complex-39A. The final launch date will depend on technical readiness and system performance.
If successful, Artemis 2 will validate Orion’s deep space capabilities and set the foundation for Artemis 3, which is planned to return astronauts to the lunar surface.
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