NASA Artemis 2: Latest updates about crewed lunar flyby mission
What's the story
NASA's Artemis 1 lunar mission, which launched in November 2022, was a resounding success.
The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission voyaged as far as 432,210km from Earth, scoring several milestones during the course of the expedition.
NASA is now gearing up for the next mission lined up in the Artemis series, called Artemis 2. It will be a crewed expedition to the Moon.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The interest in the upcoming Artemis 2 crewed mission is growing considering its predecessor, Artemis 1, was a record-breaking mission.
NASA's Artemis program will mark a step forward in space exploration and will be significant on several fronts.
For one, by means of the Artemis expeditions, NASA intends to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.
Mission
What is the Artemis 2 mission about?
Artemis 2, which will be a lunar flyby mission, will take four astronauts around the Moon but without landing on it, and will bring them back.
The mission will test "human deep space exploration capabilities," Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and will lay the groundwork for future lunar missions.
The spaceflight will last roughly 10 days, per NASA.
Updates
Artemis 2 is slated to launch in November 2024
The Artemis 2 mission is slated to launch in November 2024 and rigorous preparations are underway.
In a recent blog, NASA revealed the team was carrying out "final checkouts" on the service module of the Orion spacecraft.
Built by European Space Agency, Orion's service module is the "powerhouse" that provides in-space maneuvering capability and carries life support commodities, air and water, for onboard astronauts.
Acoustic test
Orion spacecraft's service module has been subjected to crucial tests
The same service module of the Orion spacecraft underwent crucial acoustic tests in May.
Those tests were successful, proving the service module could "withstand the speed and vibration it will experience during launch and throughout the mission."
With the completion of the acoustics test, the team is "on track to integrate Orion's crew and service modules together later this year," said NASA.
Crew
These are the four astronauts part of Artemis 2
Artemis 2's four-membered crew includes an astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Jeremy Hansen, and three NASA astronauts: Reid Wiseman (Commander), Victor Glover (Pilot), and Christina Hammock Koch.
Hansen and Koch will serve as mission specialists. Glover will be the first black astronaut to fly on a lunar mission while Koch will be the first woman astronaut to be a part of one.