Whilst you were likely scrambling to purchase last-minute Christmas presents for your pals and family, NASA accomplished an important rehearsal for its upcoming crewed mission to the Moon. The space agency conducted a countdown demonstration test last Saturday in preparation for Artemis II. The actual launch, scheduled for early 2026, will see 4 astronauts set off to perform a flyby across the Moon. While there won’t be a lunar landing, the mission can be the primary time NASA has sent astronauts anywhere near the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The dry run saw NASA’s launch and flight control teams walk through the ultimate 5.5 hours of launch day. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen placed on their spacesuits and climbed into their Orion capsule as in the event that they were blasting off. The one significant difference is that the rocket was still contained in the Vehicle Assembly Constructing fairly than on the launch pad on the Kennedy Space Center. Recently confirmed NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a release:
“This test marks the passage of a key milestone on America’s journey to the launchpad. We have now many more to go, but I’m encouraged by the expertise and precision demonstrated by our teams as we proceed NASA’s ambitious lunar exploration legacy.”
Artemis II will lay the groundwork for a lunar landing
Artemis II’s lunar flyby will function a vital test of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft. Because it stands, Artemis III is planned to be NASA’s first lunar landing since 1972. The mission progression echoes the course of the Apollo program, which featured two crewed missions to the Moon before Apollo 11. In December 1968, Apollo 8 marked the Saturn V rocket’s debut, because the mission orbited the Moon 10 times before returning to Earth. Apollo 10 lifted off in May 1969 as a lunar landing dress rehearsal.
There was only a two-month gap between Apollo 10 and Apollo 11. Nevertheless, the lull between Artemis II and Artemis III can be for much longer. NASA expects its next lunar landing to occur in the midst of 2027, no less than a yr after the lunar flyby. This schedule assumes that there are not any more delays. There is not currently a lander for Artemis III, as SpaceX’s development of a Starship-based lander has fallen behind schedule, despite Elon Musk’s claims that his company could get to the Moon cheaper and faster than the federal agency. NASA reopened competition for the lander contract in October. There’s also the opportunity of Artemis III ditching a landing altogether. Don’t fret, President Trump signed an executive order demanding that NASA land on the Moon by 2028, his final yr in office. The order doesn’t carry any additional funding, but I’m totally sure that can prevent any more delays.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
