Artemis 1 Mission Lays Groundwork For Routine Exploration Of Space Beyond Earth Orbit

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is poised to take a key step toward returning humans to the Moon after a half-century hiatus. The launch was scheduled for the morning of August 29, 2022, but was postponed due to a problem with one of the rocket’s engines. The next opportunity to launch the rocket is on September 2, 2022. The mission is a shakedown cruise—uncrewed—for NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion Crew Capsule. The spacecraft is scheduled to travel to the Moon, deploy a few small satellites, and then settle into orbit. NASA aims to practice operating the spacecraft, test the conditions crews will experience on and around the Moon, and assure everyone that the spacecraft and any passengers can return safely to Earth. The Conversation asked Jack Burns, a professor and space scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and a former member of NASA’s Presidential Transition Team, to describe the mission, explain what the Artemis program promises to do for space exploration, and think about how The space program has changed in the half century since humans last set foot on the lunar surface. How is Artemis 1 different from other regularly launched missiles? Artemis 1 is to be the first flight of the new Space Launch System. It is a “heavy lift” vehicle, as NASA refers to it. It will be the most powerful rocket engine ever flown in space, even more powerful than the Apollo Saturn V system that carried astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 70s. It is a new type of rocket system because it has a combination of liquid oxygen and hydrogen main engines and two strap-on boosters from the space shuttle. It’s really a hybrid between the Space Shuttle and Apollo’s Saturn V rocket. The tests are very important, because the Orion Crew Capsule will get a real workout. It will be in the space environment of the moon, a high-radiation environment, for a month. And, crucially, it will test the heat shield, which protects the capsule and its passengers, when it returns to Earth at 25,000 miles per hour. This will be the fastest capsule re-entry since Apollo, so it is very important that the heat shield works well. This mission is also to carry a series of small satellites that will be placed in lunar orbit. These will do some useful preliminary science, from looking further into the permanently shadowed craters where scientists think there is water to simply taking more measurements of the radiation environment, seeing what the effects on humans will be for long-term exposure. The plan is for Artemis 1 to lift off, travel to the Moon, deploy satellites, orbit the moon, return to Earth, safely enter the atmosphere and launch into the ocean. Credit: NASA What is the aim of the Artemis project? What’s coming up in the launch lineup? The mission is a first step toward Artemis 3, which will result in the first human missions to the moon in the 21st century and the first since 1972. Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight. Artemis 2, which is scheduled to launch a few years later, will have astronauts. It will also be an orbital mission, like Apollo 8, which circled the moon and returned home. Astronauts will spend more time in orbit around the moon and try everything with a human crew. And finally, this will lead to a trip to the surface of the moon in which Artemis 3 will—sometime in the middle of the decade—rendezvous with the SpaceX Starship and transport crew. Orion will remain in orbit and the lunar Starship will take the astronauts to the surface. They will go to the south pole of the moon to see an area that scientists have not explored before to investigate the water ice there. Artemis resembles Apollo. What has changed in the last half century? The reason for Apollo that Kennedy originally envisioned was to defeat the Soviet Union on the moon. The administration didn’t particularly care about space travel or the moon itself, but it represented a bold goal that would clearly put America first in space and technology. The downside to doing this is the old saying “You live by the sword, you die by the sword”. By the time the US got to the moon, it was essentially game over. We beat the Russians. So we put some flags down and did some science experiments. But very quickly after Apollo 11, within a few more missions, Richard Nixon canceled the program because the political goals had been met. So fast forward 50 years. This is a very different environment. We are not doing this to defeat the Russians or the Chinese or anyone else, but to start a viable exploration beyond Earth orbit. NASA’s new Space Launch System is seen here being transported from the rocket assembly building to a launch site. Credit: NASA The Artemis program is driven by several different objectives. It involves using resources in situ, meaning using resources like water ice and lunar soil to produce food, fuel, and building materials. The program also helps build a lunar and space economy, starting with entrepreneurs, because SpaceX is very much a part of this first mission to the surface of the moon. NASA does not own Starship, but buys seats to allow astronauts to go to the surface. SpaceX will then use Starship for other purposes—carrying other payloads, private astronauts, and astronauts from other countries. Fifty years of technological development means that going to the moon is now much less expensive and more technologically feasible, and much more sophisticated experiments are possible when you just consider computer technology. These 50 years of technological advancement have completely changed the game. Almost anyone with the financial resources can send a spacecraft to the moon now, though not necessarily with humans. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts with private companies to build uncrewed landers to go to the moon. My colleagues and I have a radio telescope that will go to the moon on one of the landers in January. This would not have been possible even 10 years ago. What other changes does Artemis have in store? Management has said that on that first crewed flight, on Artemis 3, there will be at least one woman and most likely a person of color. It can be one and the same. There may be several. I’m looking forward to seeing more of that diversity because young kids today who look up at NASA can say, “Hey, there’s an astronaut who looks like me. I can do this. I can be part of the space program.” To the Moon and beyond: NASA’s Artemis program provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Reference: Artemis 1 mission lays groundwork for routine exploration of space beyond Earth’s orbit (2022, August 30) retrieved August 30, 2022 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair dealing for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.

title: “Artemis 1 Mission Lays Groundwork For Routine Exploration Of Space Beyond Earth Orbit Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “William Ramos”

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is poised to take a key step toward returning humans to the Moon after a half-century hiatus. The launch was scheduled for the morning of August 29, 2022, but was postponed due to a problem with one of the rocket’s engines. The next opportunity to launch the rocket is on September 2, 2022. The mission is a shakedown cruise—uncrewed—for NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion Crew Capsule. The spacecraft is scheduled to travel to the Moon, deploy a few small satellites, and then settle into orbit. NASA aims to practice operating the spacecraft, test the conditions crews will experience on and around the Moon, and assure everyone that the spacecraft and any passengers can return safely to Earth. The Conversation asked Jack Burns, a professor and space scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and a former member of NASA’s Presidential Transition Team, to describe the mission, explain what the Artemis program promises to do for space exploration, and think about how The space program has changed in the half century since humans last set foot on the lunar surface. How is Artemis 1 different from other regularly launched missiles? Artemis 1 is to be the first flight of the new Space Launch System. It is a “heavy lift” vehicle, as NASA refers to it. It will be the most powerful rocket engine ever flown in space, even more powerful than the Apollo Saturn V system that carried astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 70s. It is a new type of rocket system because it has a combination of liquid oxygen and hydrogen main engines and two strap-on boosters from the space shuttle. It’s really a hybrid between the Space Shuttle and Apollo’s Saturn V rocket. The tests are very important, because the Orion Crew Capsule will get a real workout. It will be in the space environment of the moon, a high-radiation environment, for a month. And, crucially, it will test the heat shield, which protects the capsule and its passengers, when it returns to Earth at 25,000 miles per hour. This will be the fastest capsule re-entry since Apollo, so it is very important that the heat shield works well. This mission is also to carry a series of small satellites that will be placed in lunar orbit. These will do some useful preliminary science, from looking further into the permanently shadowed craters where scientists think there is water to simply taking more measurements of the radiation environment, seeing what the effects on humans will be for long-term exposure. The plan is for Artemis 1 to lift off, travel to the Moon, deploy satellites, orbit the moon, return to Earth, safely enter the atmosphere and launch into the ocean. Credit: NASA What is the aim of the Artemis project? What’s coming up in the launch lineup? The mission is a first step toward Artemis 3, which will result in the first human missions to the moon in the 21st century and the first since 1972. Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight. Artemis 2, which is scheduled to launch a few years later, will have astronauts. It will also be an orbital mission, like Apollo 8, which circled the moon and returned home. Astronauts will spend more time in orbit around the moon and try everything with a human crew. And finally, this will lead to a trip to the surface of the moon in which Artemis 3 will—sometime in the middle of the decade—rendezvous with the SpaceX Starship and transport crew. Orion will remain in orbit and the lunar Starship will take the astronauts to the surface. They will go to the south pole of the moon to see an area that scientists have not explored before to investigate the water ice there. Artemis resembles Apollo. What has changed in the last half century? The reason for Apollo that Kennedy originally envisioned was to defeat the Soviet Union on the moon. The administration didn’t particularly care about space travel or the moon itself, but it represented a bold goal that would clearly put America first in space and technology. The downside to doing this is the old saying “You live by the sword, you die by the sword”. By the time the US got to the moon, it was essentially game over. We beat the Russians. So we put some flags down and did some science experiments. But very quickly after Apollo 11, within a few more missions, Richard Nixon canceled the program because the political goals had been met. So fast forward 50 years. This is a very different environment. We are not doing this to defeat the Russians or the Chinese or anyone else, but to start a viable exploration beyond Earth orbit. NASA’s new Space Launch System is seen here being transported from the rocket assembly building to a launch site. Credit: NASA The Artemis program is driven by several different objectives. It involves using resources in situ, meaning using resources like water ice and lunar soil to produce food, fuel, and building materials. The program also helps build a lunar and space economy, starting with entrepreneurs, because SpaceX is very much a part of this first mission to the surface of the moon. NASA does not own Starship, but buys seats to allow astronauts to go to the surface. SpaceX will then use Starship for other purposes—carrying other payloads, private astronauts, and astronauts from other countries. Fifty years of technological development means that going to the moon is now much less expensive and more technologically feasible, and much more sophisticated experiments are possible when you just consider computer technology. These 50 years of technological advancement have completely changed the game. Almost anyone with the financial resources can send a spacecraft to the moon now, though not necessarily with humans. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts with private companies to build uncrewed landers to go to the moon. My colleagues and I have a radio telescope that will go to the moon on one of the landers in January. This would not have been possible even 10 years ago. What other changes does Artemis have in store? Management has said that on that first crewed flight, on Artemis 3, there will be at least one woman and most likely a person of color. It can be one and the same. There may be several. I’m looking forward to seeing more of that diversity because young kids today who look up at NASA can say, “Hey, there’s an astronaut who looks like me. I can do this. I can be part of the space program.” To the Moon and beyond: NASA’s Artemis program provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Reference: Artemis 1 mission lays groundwork for routine exploration of space beyond Earth’s orbit (2022, August 30) retrieved August 30, 2022 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair dealing for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.

title: “Artemis 1 Mission Lays Groundwork For Routine Exploration Of Space Beyond Earth Orbit Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Tammy Obrien”

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is poised to take a key step toward returning humans to the Moon after a half-century hiatus. The launch was scheduled for the morning of August 29, 2022, but was postponed due to a problem with one of the rocket’s engines. The next opportunity to launch the rocket is on September 2, 2022. The mission is a shakedown cruise—uncrewed—for NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion Crew Capsule. The spacecraft is scheduled to travel to the Moon, deploy a few small satellites, and then settle into orbit. NASA aims to practice operating the spacecraft, test the conditions crews will experience on and around the Moon, and assure everyone that the spacecraft and any passengers can return safely to Earth. The Conversation asked Jack Burns, a professor and space scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and a former member of NASA’s Presidential Transition Team, to describe the mission, explain what the Artemis program promises to do for space exploration, and think about how The space program has changed in the half century since humans last set foot on the lunar surface. How is Artemis 1 different from other regularly launched missiles? Artemis 1 is to be the first flight of the new Space Launch System. It is a “heavy lift” vehicle, as NASA refers to it. It will be the most powerful rocket engine ever flown in space, even more powerful than the Apollo Saturn V system that carried astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 70s. It is a new type of rocket system because it has a combination of liquid oxygen and hydrogen main engines and two strap-on boosters from the space shuttle. It’s really a hybrid between the Space Shuttle and Apollo’s Saturn V rocket. The tests are very important, because the Orion Crew Capsule will get a real workout. It will be in the space environment of the moon, a high-radiation environment, for a month. And, crucially, it will test the heat shield, which protects the capsule and its passengers, when it returns to Earth at 25,000 miles per hour. This will be the fastest capsule re-entry since Apollo, so it is very important that the heat shield works well. This mission is also to carry a series of small satellites that will be placed in lunar orbit. These will do some useful preliminary science, from looking further into the permanently shadowed craters where scientists think there is water to simply taking more measurements of the radiation environment, seeing what the effects on humans will be for long-term exposure. The plan is for Artemis 1 to lift off, travel to the Moon, deploy satellites, orbit the moon, return to Earth, safely enter the atmosphere and launch into the ocean. Credit: NASA What is the aim of the Artemis project? What’s coming up in the launch lineup? The mission is a first step toward Artemis 3, which will result in the first human missions to the moon in the 21st century and the first since 1972. Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight. Artemis 2, which is scheduled to launch a few years later, will have astronauts. It will also be an orbital mission, like Apollo 8, which circled the moon and returned home. Astronauts will spend more time in orbit around the moon and try everything with a human crew. And finally, this will lead to a trip to the surface of the moon in which Artemis 3 will—sometime in the middle of the decade—rendezvous with the SpaceX Starship and transport crew. Orion will remain in orbit and the lunar Starship will take the astronauts to the surface. They will go to the south pole of the moon to see an area that scientists have not explored before to investigate the water ice there. Artemis resembles Apollo. What has changed in the last half century? The reason for Apollo that Kennedy originally envisioned was to defeat the Soviet Union on the moon. The administration didn’t particularly care about space travel or the moon itself, but it represented a bold goal that would clearly put America first in space and technology. The downside to doing this is the old saying “You live by the sword, you die by the sword”. By the time the US got to the moon, it was essentially game over. We beat the Russians. So we put some flags down and did some science experiments. But very quickly after Apollo 11, within a few more missions, Richard Nixon canceled the program because the political goals had been met. So fast forward 50 years. This is a very different environment. We are not doing this to defeat the Russians or the Chinese or anyone else, but to start a viable exploration beyond Earth orbit. NASA’s new Space Launch System is seen here being transported from the rocket assembly building to a launch site. Credit: NASA The Artemis program is driven by several different objectives. It involves using resources in situ, meaning using resources like water ice and lunar soil to produce food, fuel, and building materials. The program also helps build a lunar and space economy, starting with entrepreneurs, because SpaceX is very much a part of this first mission to the surface of the moon. NASA does not own Starship, but buys seats to allow astronauts to go to the surface. SpaceX will then use Starship for other purposes—carrying other payloads, private astronauts, and astronauts from other countries. Fifty years of technological development means that going to the moon is now much less expensive and more technologically feasible, and much more sophisticated experiments are possible when you just consider computer technology. These 50 years of technological advancement have completely changed the game. Almost anyone with the financial resources can send a spacecraft to the moon now, though not necessarily with humans. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts with private companies to build uncrewed landers to go to the moon. My colleagues and I have a radio telescope that will go to the moon on one of the landers in January. This would not have been possible even 10 years ago. What other changes does Artemis have in store? Management has said that on that first crewed flight, on Artemis 3, there will be at least one woman and most likely a person of color. It can be one and the same. There may be several. I’m looking forward to seeing more of that diversity because young kids today who look up at NASA can say, “Hey, there’s an astronaut who looks like me. I can do this. I can be part of the space program.” To the Moon and beyond: NASA’s Artemis program provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Reference: Artemis 1 mission lays groundwork for routine exploration of space beyond Earth’s orbit (2022, August 30) retrieved August 30, 2022 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair dealing for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.

title: “Artemis 1 Mission Lays Groundwork For Routine Exploration Of Space Beyond Earth Orbit Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-28” author: “Wesley Bowles”

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission is poised to take a key step toward returning humans to the Moon after a half-century hiatus. The launch was scheduled for the morning of August 29, 2022, but was postponed due to a problem with one of the rocket’s engines. The next opportunity to launch the rocket is on September 2, 2022. The mission is a shakedown cruise—uncrewed—for NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion Crew Capsule. The spacecraft is scheduled to travel to the Moon, deploy a few small satellites, and then settle into orbit. NASA aims to practice operating the spacecraft, test the conditions crews will experience on and around the Moon, and assure everyone that the spacecraft and any passengers can return safely to Earth. The Conversation asked Jack Burns, a professor and space scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and a former member of NASA’s Presidential Transition Team, to describe the mission, explain what the Artemis program promises to do for space exploration, and think about how The space program has changed in the half century since humans last set foot on the lunar surface. How is Artemis 1 different from other regularly launched missiles? Artemis 1 is to be the first flight of the new Space Launch System. It is a “heavy lift” vehicle, as NASA refers to it. It will be the most powerful rocket engine ever flown in space, even more powerful than the Apollo Saturn V system that carried astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 70s. It is a new type of rocket system because it has a combination of liquid oxygen and hydrogen main engines and two strap-on boosters from the space shuttle. It’s really a hybrid between the Space Shuttle and Apollo’s Saturn V rocket. The tests are very important, because the Orion Crew Capsule will get a real workout. It will be in the space environment of the moon, a high-radiation environment, for a month. And, crucially, it will test the heat shield, which protects the capsule and its passengers, when it returns to Earth at 25,000 miles per hour. This will be the fastest capsule re-entry since Apollo, so it is very important that the heat shield works well. This mission is also to carry a series of small satellites that will be placed in lunar orbit. These will do some useful preliminary science, from looking further into the permanently shadowed craters where scientists think there is water to simply taking more measurements of the radiation environment, seeing what the effects on humans will be for long-term exposure. The plan is for Artemis 1 to lift off, travel to the Moon, deploy satellites, orbit the moon, return to Earth, safely enter the atmosphere and launch into the ocean. Credit: NASA What is the aim of the Artemis project? What’s coming up in the launch lineup? The mission is a first step toward Artemis 3, which will result in the first human missions to the moon in the 21st century and the first since 1972. Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight. Artemis 2, which is scheduled to launch a few years later, will have astronauts. It will also be an orbital mission, like Apollo 8, which circled the moon and returned home. Astronauts will spend more time in orbit around the moon and try everything with a human crew. And finally, this will lead to a trip to the surface of the moon in which Artemis 3 will—sometime in the middle of the decade—rendezvous with the SpaceX Starship and transport crew. Orion will remain in orbit and the lunar Starship will take the astronauts to the surface. They will go to the south pole of the moon to see an area that scientists have not explored before to investigate the water ice there. Artemis resembles Apollo. What has changed in the last half century? The reason for Apollo that Kennedy originally envisioned was to defeat the Soviet Union on the moon. The administration didn’t particularly care about space travel or the moon itself, but it represented a bold goal that would clearly put America first in space and technology. The downside to doing this is the old saying “You live by the sword, you die by the sword”. By the time the US got to the moon, it was essentially game over. We beat the Russians. So we put some flags down and did some science experiments. But very quickly after Apollo 11, within a few more missions, Richard Nixon canceled the program because the political goals had been met. So fast forward 50 years. This is a very different environment. We are not doing this to defeat the Russians or the Chinese or anyone else, but to start a viable exploration beyond Earth orbit. NASA’s new Space Launch System is seen here being transported from the rocket assembly building to a launch site. Credit: NASA The Artemis program is driven by several different objectives. It involves using resources in situ, meaning using resources like water ice and lunar soil to produce food, fuel, and building materials. The program also helps build a lunar and space economy, starting with entrepreneurs, because SpaceX is very much a part of this first mission to the surface of the moon. NASA does not own Starship, but buys seats to allow astronauts to go to the surface. SpaceX will then use Starship for other purposes—carrying other payloads, private astronauts, and astronauts from other countries. Fifty years of technological development means that going to the moon is now much less expensive and more technologically feasible, and much more sophisticated experiments are possible when you just consider computer technology. These 50 years of technological advancement have completely changed the game. Almost anyone with the financial resources can send a spacecraft to the moon now, though not necessarily with humans. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts with private companies to build uncrewed landers to go to the moon. My colleagues and I have a radio telescope that will go to the moon on one of the landers in January. This would not have been possible even 10 years ago. What other changes does Artemis have in store? Management has said that on that first crewed flight, on Artemis 3, there will be at least one woman and most likely a person of color. It can be one and the same. There may be several. I’m looking forward to seeing more of that diversity because young kids today who look up at NASA can say, “Hey, there’s an astronaut who looks like me. I can do this. I can be part of the space program.” To the Moon and beyond: NASA’s Artemis program provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Reference: Artemis 1 mission lays groundwork for routine exploration of space beyond Earth’s orbit (2022, August 30) retrieved August 30, 2022 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair dealing for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.