Artemis Mission: About 50 years ago with the landing of the first human on the moon, mankind took a giant leap forward. Since then, numerous manned and unmanned missions have been launched and now NASA has decided to send humans to the moon again under its Artemis program.
What is Artemis program?
Artemis program is a series of missions namely Artemis 1, Artemis 2, Artemis 3 and so on. Each of these missions has been assigned a fixed timeline. These missions are mainly executed by NASA with the help of various international space agencies such as the European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Australian Space Agency (ASA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
What is NASA’s Artemis mission studying?
Artemis project by NASA aims to land “first women and the next man” on the moon’s south pole by 2024. This program is developed to make a “sustainable presence” of mankind on the lunar surface.
The important objectives of Artemis program are –
- The primary focus of Artemis Mission is to prepare us for mars. The success of the Artemis program will be the preparation for mars exploration.
- To extract resources from the moon and making use of them in the upcoming mars missions would be another focus of the program.
- All the space-related explorations are done so that to answer one simple question – to understand the universe and its existence. Artemis program will be a milestone in this field.
All in all, the Artemis mission is the biggest step towards the “deep space capabilities” of humans.
Why is it called the Artemis program?
In Greek mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. She is the goddess of the moon. And with the first-ever women going to the moon, now Artemis personifies to mankind’s capability.
How many Artemis missions are there?
All the missions in the Artemis program are divided into broad two categories.
- Planned Missions
- Proposed Missions
There are a total of 3 planned missions in NASA’s Artemis program. These missions include Artemis 1 (to be launched in 2021), Artemis 2 (to be launched in late 2022) and Artemis 3 (to be launched in 2024).
All these missions will be followed by proposed missions which as of now ranges from Artemis 4 to Artemis 9.
Artemis I
Formerly known as Exploration Mission-1, Artemis I is first in the series of Artemis program. It will be an uncrewed flight and is slated to launch in this year only i.e., 2021. The main purpose of Artemis I mission is to test SLS (Space Launch System) in conjunction with the Orion spacecraft.
Artemis II
Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the moon but it will a flyby to the moon. This mission aims to gauge the life support system of the Orion, a human space capsule. Artemis II mission will be boarded by 4 astronauts and they will come back to the earth after the testing.
Artemis III
The Artemis III mission is the cornerstone of the Artemis program. This is what counts the most. All the proposed missions rely on the success of this mission. This also will be a crewed mission and will be responsible for the landing of the “first women and the next man” on the lunar surface.
Key components of the Artemis mission
Artemis Program encompasses one of its kind missions. So, advanced infrastructure is needed to realize all the goals. Major components of this ambitious program are discussed further.
1. Exploration Ground Systems
All the launches are supposed to be done from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Advanced launch pad, firing room and vehicle assembly building are required for Artemis mission.
2. Space Launch Vehicle
Known as the most powerful rocket, Space Launch System (SLS) is a super heavy-lift launch vehicle. Because of its high thrust at launch, it is specially designed for NASA’s deep space exploration. It comes with four RS-25 engines in the core stage as its main propulsion system. For additional power needs two solid rocket boosters are also included.
3. Orion
Orion spacecraft is a multi-purpose partially reusable crew vehicle. Its main components are crew module, service module, launch- abort system and a spacecraft adapter.
The crew module is responsible to provide habitat for the crew. In the entire space capsule, only crew module can return to the earth. It is bigger in size than the earlier Apollo spacecraft.
The service module carries solar panels for energy needs, tanks of oxygen, nitrogen and water are provided for astronomers. To maintain optimum temperature radiators and heat exchangers are provided in the service module. To propel the spacecraft some rocket engines are also provided in the same module.
The spacecraft adapter helps cover the service module to keep it safe. An instrument unit is fitted in the adapter for guiding and controlling of the boosters.
In case of an emergency during the launch, a launch-abort system is equipped for the safe landing of the crew module. For this purpose, three solid rocket motors are provided in the launch-abort system.
4. Gateway
The Gateway, an orbiting platform that is like a space station in the lunar orbit. Gateway will be a waypoint for all the scientific exploration. Gateway will also be a storehouse for oxygen, food and replace parts. This will eliminate the need for frequent commutes to the earth hence it aims to save time and resources.
5. Lunar Landers
NASA has asked the American companies to submit proposals for Artemis Lunar Landers.
6. Artemis Generation Spacesuits
For the Artemis program, a special kind of spacesuit is designed which is called Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU). This suit will protect astronomers from the harsh environment of the space. The advanced feature of this suit makes it evolvable for multiple space expeditions.
Conclusion
The Artemis mission will be another giant leap of mankind with the landing of first women and the next man of the moon. Pushing the bounds of humanity, the Artemis program by NASA will help to make a sustainable presence of humanity on the lunar surface. In the words of NASA – we are going to the moon to stay, by 2024.
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