So, We’re Going Back to the Moon?
We are! And, if NASA’s hopes and plans are met, not just “back,” but this time to stay.
What is Artemis 1?
The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission — delayed multiple times but set to launch as soon as Saturday — is the first in a series of planned missions that mark NASA’s return to the Moon. As soon as two years from now, Artemis 2 will take a crew to lunar orbit. Artemis 3 is the planned mission that will return humans to the lunar surface, landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. That mission is scheduled for 2025, though many observers wonder if such an ambitious schedule can be met.
Dates and plans are likely subject to change, but the Artemis program (named for Apollo’s twin sister) is moving forward. It is the first effort to send humans to deep space since the end of Apollo in 1972, 50 years ago.
What Rocket is Artemis 1 Using?
The Artemis 1 mission will be the first launch of NASA’s “mega Moon rocket,” the Space Launch System (SLS), which, if successful, would be the most powerful rocket ever. Based on a mix of new technology and heritage propulsion systems from the space shuttle era, the SLS is years behind schedule and overbudget. But it has its proponents in Congress, and, as some point out, like space-policy expert Casey Dreier of The Planetary Society, SLS was never meant to compete with the recent rise of reusable spaceships. That said, some think SLS won’t outlive these newer vehicles. For now, though, it is our Moon ride.
Each Artemis mission, at least early on, will cost about $4 billion. Critics point to the cost and delays. Advocates point to exciting new science, the possibility that humans can live on another world long-term and do so sustainably, as well as the likely inspiration that such a program provides humanity and industry. Oft-cited: The Apollo guidance computer was the first major miniaturization of computers — and all you have to do is pull out your smartphone to see where that led.
The engines used in the core stage of the Space Launch System are repurposed main engines from the space shuttle.
(Credit: NASA)
When’s the Launch?
NASA is targeting a launch on Saturday, Sep. 3 between 2: 17 P.M. and 4: 17 P.M. EDT.
The first launch window opened for two hours on Monday, Aug. 29, at 8: 33 A.M. EDT. Launch windows are set because flight controllers must account for the motion of the Earth, the Moon and the rocket itself.
But the rocket didn’t launch. NASA managers briefed the press after an exhausting several hours, pointing to several glitches, including a lightning delay that set back fuel loading, a tetchy hydrogen leak, and a valve problem. The main showstopper was one of the core stage’s main engines not cooling to the temperature needed for a launch. Still, even if all that had been resolved, there were weather complications during the launch window that would have stalled the attempt.
If SLS doesn’t launch on Saturday, another window occurs Monday, Sep. 5, at about 5 P.M. EDT. After that, more windows open later this fall.
What’s the Mission?
After lift-off, the Orion capsule and its Service Module, built by the European Space Agency (ESA), will go into Earth orbit and the solar panels will deploy. Then, about 90 minutes into the mission, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) will light up for about 20 minutes. That’s trans-lunar injection (TLI), the rocket burn that will propel Orion out of Earth orbit and on its way to the Moon. After TLI, the ICPS will be jettisoned, and Artemis 1 will be on its way for a four-day journey to the Moon. Along the way, it will launch 10 CubeSats — small, inexpensive satellites — with research targets ranging from studying lunar water ice to measuring deep-space radiation.
For Artemis 1’s “crew,” NASA has supplied one male mannequin while ESA has contributed two partial female mannequins. ESA’s mannequins are designed to study the impacts of radiation, as breast cancer and ovarian cancer have a greater chance of developing due to radiation exposure. (Credit: NASA/Lockheed Martin/DLR)
NASA is stressing the craft beyond normal parameters on this test flight, but don’t worry, no one is aboard except a set of full and partial mannequins equipped with sensors to monitor the impact of radiation on future human astronauts. The mannequins are named Commander Moonikin Campos, Helga, and Zohar. The Commander’s last name is a gesture to honor engineer Arturo Campos, who played a pivotal role in getting Apollo 13 home from its nearly fatal lunar mission.
As Orion approaches the Moon on its sixth day in space, it will make a flyby of the Moon, swooping to within 60 miles (100 kilometers) of the lunar surface. As it does so, it will fire its rockets — but not to slow down. Instead, it will boost its momentum to carry it further from the Moon toward its eventual lunar orbit.
That’s because unlike Apollo missions, which kept to a tight, near-circular orbit around the Moon, Artemis 1 will use a much wider orbit called a distant retrograde orbit (DRO). (“Retrograde” means the craft will be orbiting in the opposite direction that the Moon orbits the Earth.)
On the mission’s tenth day, Artemis will fire its engines again — this time to slow down and finally enter DRO, where it will stay for 16 days. While in this orbit, Orio