What is NASA Artemis Program?
Artemis is a NASA space mission that aims to put the first female astronaut and the very first black astronaut on the South Pole of the Moon. It is the first human-crewed space Moon mission for the US space program since Apollo 17 in 1972. The NASA Artemis mission is mainly aimed at lunar exploration; however, the long-term goals of NASA are even more striving.
NASA plans to launch a future crewed space mission for Mars utilizing the science and technology that developed during the Artemis spaceflights. The huge NASA mission of the ‘Moon to Mars’ program entails the construction of a new lunar space station and, finally, a habitable Moon sordid.
What is Artemis?
Mythologically, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and the legendary Greek goddess of the Moon. As a result, the connection to the NASA mission that was the first to send astronauts to the Moon 50 years ago is obvious. Meanwhile, Orion is the name of the human-crewed spacecraft currently being developed. Orion is the most well-known constellation in the sky, and in Greek mythology, he is the hunting comrade of Artemis. This is how the NASA program got the name NASA Artemis Program.
Key factors of the NASA Artemis Program
Timeline: 2017–present
Launch vehicles: Commercial launch vehicles; Space Launch System (SLS)
Team modules: Orion, Lunar Gateway, Human landing system (HLS)
Launch dates:
- Artemis 1: May 2022 (TBC) [not sooner than that]
- Artemis 2: 2024 (TBC)
- Artemis 3: 2025
Main NASA Artemis Program Objectives
Resources: The revelation of water on the Moon and significant rare mineral reserves bode well for economic and scientific research and utilization.
Knowledge: Because people now know a lot more regarding the Moon than people did 50 years ago (and because technology has evolved), NASA predicts that the next set of expeditions will be able to recover specimens more effectively than the Apollo missions did.
Long-term presence: Artemis intends to create a longer settlement on the moon’s surface, where another mission, the Apollo 17 crew, lasted three days. This will allow visits to be extended to weeks, if not months.
Partnership: The Artemis program is one of the first comprehensive associations of NASA with commercial establishments, such as SpaceX, Boeing, and Blue Origin.
Technology: The technologies now being designed, from launchers to spacecraft, are intended to lay the foundation for forthcoming deep-space expeditions.
Equality: The main aim of the NASA Artemis program is to feature the first individual of color and the first woman on the Moon’s surface.
While getting to the Lunar surface takes three days, getting to Mars is a far longer and more difficult task. Artemis, according to NASA, will create the groundwork for interplanetary authorities and private firms to establish a lunar economy and population and transport people to Mars.