The Previous Moon Landing:
NASA’s Apollo 11 spacecraft touched down on the moon with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins aboard on July 20, 1969, 53 years ago. With Armstrong becoming the first person to set foot on the moon, all three of them became well-known figures worldwide. On that magnificent day, he said, “…[t]hat’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Brian Odom, the acting chief historian for the US Space Agency, stated that “…of course, firsts are usually the ones we remember the most, and Neil’s feat undoubtedly ranks among the most notable firsts of all time.” His cool, collected attitude throughout the expedition made him a legendary figure and the focus of numerous documentaries, movies, and stories. According to Odom, “Apollo 11 received a phenomenal response domestically and abroad.” As soon as the astronauts arrived back on Earth, they immediately gained notoriety as the landing was regarded as one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
What are the Main Goals of the Artemis Missions?
Even after five decades, humanity has still not touched foot on the moon, until now. With the new Artemis missions NASA is planning, humans will reach the moon once more and take the next big step towards reaching Mars. The Artemis Missions include three major flights:
Artemis I:
Artemis I, originally named Exploration Mission-1, was the first of three lunar missions. The spacecraft was launched on November 16, 2022, and spent a total of 25 days in space (landing on December 11, 2022). This particular mission lacked a crew and acted as a test flight for the Artemis II mission, which will be staffed. The main goal of the mission was to ensure that the Orion Spacecraft and the rest of the Deep Space Exploration Systems could safely orbit around the moon. In addition, the Artemis I mission allowed 10 small satellites to conduct various investigations in the science and technology fields that will help further research needed in the future.
Artemis II:
Artemis II, which is the second out of three lunar missions, will take humans the closest they have been to the moon in approximately five decades and will also take humans deeper into space than ever before. The main goal of Artemis II, which will depart in November of 2024, is to test the readiness of the Artemis Missions and see if it is ready to land humans on the moon again with the research collected from astronauts onboard. The mission will take about ten days while the four astronauts orbit around the moon. Once again, the Artemis II mission will utilize the Space Launch System (SLS) Rocket and the Orion Spacecraft for their launch.
Artemis III:
Artemis III, which will be the third lunar mission, will officially land humans on the Moon after fifty years. Planned tentatively for 2025, one of NASA’s main goals with this mission is to land the first woman and person of color on the Moon. NASA will send humans to explore and discover areas on the southern pole of the Moon. Much like Artemis I and II, this mission will utilize the SLS and the Orion Spacecraft, but will also add on a SpaceX Starship (which is currently being manufactured). The crew members for the mission have not been named, but there will also be four astronauts.
Although not confirmed, NASA plans to continue these Artemis Missions and have already started developing technology for Artemis Missions 4-13.
The Astronauts Chosen for the Artemis II Mission:
For the Artemis II mission, NASA wanted this specific flight to have a more diverse team of astronauts rather than the all-white male team they had had in previous years. Just a few days ago, NASA released the names of these exceptional astronauts who will be partaking in the mission:
Jeremy Hansen
Born on January 27, 1976, in London, Ontario, 47-year-old Jeremy Hansen will be the first-ever Canadian astronaut to go into space. Hansen is one of four active astronauts apart of the Canadian Space Agency and has worked at NASA in previous years to train American and Canadian astronaut candidates alike. Aboard Orion for his first space flight ever, Hansen will work as the second mission specialist to accomplish specific goals while in space.
Victor Glover
Born on April 30, 1976, 46-year-old Victor Glover was the first black man to travel to the International Space Station during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission where he spent 168 days in space as a flight engineer. He participated in several research projects, technology demonstrations, and four space walks while aboard. Glover is excited to continue his space journeys with the Artemis II mission, instead as the pilot this time, and will also be the first black participant in any lunar mission.
Reid Wiseman
Born on November 1, 1975, 47-year-old Reid Wiseman will partake in this new and exciting Artemis II mission. Wiseman was first chosen as a NASA pilot in 2009, completed a 165-day trip to the International Space Station, and participated in a 13-hour spacewalk as lead spacewalker in 2014. Wiseman had previously been Chief of the Astronaut Office, but stepped down to engage in a particular mission in November of 2022, and will now be the commander of this new mission.
Christina Koch
Born on January 29, 1979, 44-year-old Christina Koch will participate in her second space mission aboard Artemis II. During her first mission, Koch was aboard the International Space Station for Expeditions 59, 60, and 61 and spent a total of 328 days in space, the record for the longest single space flight made by a woman. Even more notably, Koch participated in the first all-female spacewalks and was an electrical engineer for NASA. Aboard this flight, Koch will act as the first mission specialist alongside Hansen to accomplish several mission goals and research tasks.
How Will This Help Humanity in the Future?
Although humans have already landed on the moon, with these new missions, humans will gather significantly more research than ever before with how far technology has come. Humanity is continuing to go deeper into space and discover more about this extravagant universe. Not only will NASA gather research about Moon colonization, but this mission will also pave the way for Mars colonization and bring humanity closer to reaching farther planets.
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