Artemis II crew will not land on the Moon; This would not happen until Artemis IV. But their capsule will fly 6,000 to 9,000 kilometers over the surface of a hidden part of the Earth’s satellite, orbit around it and make the return trip home. The main objective of the mission is to demonstrate that the space agency has the technical capability to send people to the Moon safely and without any accidents.
Once this is achieved, NASA will begin preparations for new lunar landings during the next years, with the aim of consolidating the first lunar bases in history and, with it, the continuous and permanent presence of humans on the satellite.
When and where can you watch Artemis II liftoff?
The new launch window will open on Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 p.m. EDT and last for two hours. This means that once all protocol testing is completed, launch of the Artemis II mission could occur any time between 6:24 pm and 8:24 pm EDT. There is no exact time, as travel is approved based on technical, weather and space traffic conditions. If the launch hits a snag this Wednesday, NASA has five more days to try again.
Monday, April 6 will be the last day of this launch window. If unsuccessful this time, the launch window will be extended to April 30.
According to NASA, the live broadcast will be available on its YouTube channel. The stream will begin at 7:45 a.m. ET with coverage of tank operations to load the booster. Meanwhile, the official coverage will start at 12:50 pm and will continue till the start of the flight. NASA will hold a press conference two hours after the launch.
mission statement
Astronauts will fly aboard a NASA SLS rocket and travel inside the Orion capsule, described as a large van-shaped spacecraft. They will orbit the Earth for at least two days to test the onboard equipment. They will then align the spacecraft to begin their journey to the Moon. By the fifth or sixth day of flight, the capsule is expected to enter the Moon’s sphere of influence, where the satellite’s gravity is stronger than Earth’s, and dock with its orbit.
When the spacecraft passes behind the Moon, the most dangerous phase will begin. The crew will be out of contact with Earth for about 50 minutes due to interference from the Moon. During this critical moment, the crew must capture images and data from the Moon, taking advantage of technology far more advanced than that available during the Apollo era.
After completing the return, the capsule will head home, taking advantage of the Earth-Moon gravitational field to conserve fuel. According to NASA estimates, the crew will be close to reaching the planet by the 10th day of flight.
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