Artemis 2 Launch Delayed: NASA’s Epic Moon Mission Takes a New Turn, Behind the Scenes: The Exciting Crew and Tech of Artemis 2 Revealed
Artemis 2 New Launch Date and Time
NASA announced on January 9, 2024, that the Artemis 2 mission will be delayed from November 2024 to September 2025. The Artemis 2 mission will be the first crewed mission to send four astronauts around the moon.
The Artemis 1 mission launched on November 16, 2022. The Artemis 3 mission is planned for September 2026 and will land astronauts near the lunar South Pole. The Artemis 4 mission is planned for 2028 and will be the first mission to the Gateway lunar space station.
Where is the Artemis 2 launch site?
The Artemis 2 mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts will launch on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Launch Complex 39B. This will be the first crewed launch from Launch Complex 39B since 2006.
What is the purpose of the Artemis II mission?
The Artemis 2 mission is a key part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a long-term presence on the moon and prepare for human exploration of Mars. The Artemis 2 mission will be the first crewed test flight of the Artemis program.
The Artemis 2 mission will test and demonstrate optical communications to and from Earth using the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O). The crew will also assess the performance of the life support systems that generate breathable air and remove carbon dioxide and water vapor.
The Artemis 2 mission will also aim to hit four major metrics of readiness: mission planning, system performance, crew interfaces, and guidance and navigation systems.
Who is the crew for Artemis 2?
The Artemis 2 crew includes:
Reid Wiseman: Commander
Victor Glover: Pilot
Christina Koch: Mission Specialist 1
Jeremy Hansen: Mission Specialist 2
Hansen is a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut who will be the first non-American to leave Earth’s orbit and fly to the moon. Jenni Sidey-Gibbons is Hansen’s backup.
Will Artemis 3 have a crew?
Yes, the Artemis 3 mission will have a crew. The Artemis 3 mission is scheduled for September 2026 and will be the first crewed landing on the moon since 1972.
The mission will last 30 days and will involve four astronauts traveling to the moon on board Orion.
Two astronauts will land on the moon for about a week. The mission is also intended to be the first to land a woman and a person of color on the moon.
Artemis 2 Budget?
NASA’s Artemis program has faced congressional scrutiny for years of delays and cost overruns. The program is projected to cost $93 billion from 2012–2025, with $53 billion spent from 2021–2025. The SLS rocket represents 26% of that cost, at $23.8 billion.
NASA’s 2024 budget request includes $2.5 billion for the space launch system, which focuses on Artemis II, III, and IV. The request also includes $1.2 billion for the Orion program to finish assembling and testing the Artemis II crewed vehicle.
NASA’s chief official for human spaceflight in deep space, Jim Free, discussed the budget from the fiscal year 2024 through the fiscal year 2028. During this five-year period, the space agency will spend at least $41.5 billion on the Artemis program.
What is the difference between Artemis 1 and Artemis 2?
Artemis 1 was an uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) around the moon. Artemis 2 will be the first crewed test flight of the SLS and Orion spacecraft around the moon.
Artemis 2 will also include a major change from Artemis 1: an environmental system to provide oxygen to the astronauts. The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission did not require an environmental system.
Artemis 1 was the first major spaceflight of NASA’s Artemis program, marking the agency’s return to lunar exploration after the Apollo program. Artemis 2 will be a pioneering crewed spaceflight, taking humans farther than they’ve ever been in space.
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