NASA is on the cusp of launching Artemis II, a historic mission that will send a diverse international crew on a lunar flyby. This marks the first time astronauts will travel to the Moon in decades.

Artemis II Mission Overview

The Artemis II mission will serve as a critical test flight for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion capsule. The crew will not land on the Moon, but will instead travel approximately 5,000 miles beyond it before returning to Earth. The entire mission is expected to last less than 10 days.

The Crew

The four-member crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. Reid Wiseman, a retired Navy captain, will command the mission. Christina Koch holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days aboard the International Space Station, and participated in the first all-female spacewalk. Victor Glover was the first Black astronaut to live and work on the space station. Jeremy Hansen, from the Canadian Space Agency, is the only rookie astronaut on the crew.

Crew Backgrounds

  • Reid Wiseman: Retired Navy captain and former NASA astronaut corps head.
  • Christina Koch: Record-holding female spaceflight duration and spacewalk participant.
  • Victor Glover: First Black astronaut to live and work aboard the ISS.
  • Jeremy Hansen: Canadian Space Agency astronaut and former fighter pilot.

Rocket and Capsule Details

The SLS rocket stands 322 feet tall and is more powerful at liftoff than the Apollo program’s Saturn V rocket. It utilizes salvaged space shuttle engines and liquid hydrogen fuel. The Orion capsule, positioned atop the rocket, will carry the astronauts. Hydrogen leaks have presented challenges during testing, causing delays to the launch schedule.

Mission Trajectory and Objectives

After launch, the crew will orbit Earth for 25 hours, practicing docking maneuvers with the separated upper stage of the rocket. Orion’s main engine will then propel the capsule towards the Moon, utilizing a “free-return trajectory” that relies on Earth and Moon’s gravity. The crew will reach a point 244,000 miles from Earth, surpassing the distance record set by Apollo 13.

Lunar Flyby and Observations

During the lunar flyby, the astronauts will observe and photograph the far side of the Moon, a region rarely seen by humans. NASA geologist Kelsey Young will assist in monitoring the flyby from Mission Control. The crew will also be equipped with smartphones, in addition to professional cameras, to capture images.

Return to Earth

The Orion capsule will splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego after a nine-day mission. The heat shield of the capsule will be closely monitored during reentry, as it sustained damage during a previous test flight in 2022. NASA is mitigating heat exposure by shortening the capsule’s atmospheric descent.

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