Artemis II launch hours away: What the Moon mission entails
What's the story
NASA is all set to launch its Artemis II moon mission today, a major milestone in space exploration. The mission will see a four-member crew embark on a high-speed journey around the Moon and back, taking some 10 days. This will be NASA's first manned lunar mission in over five decades, paving the way for future missions targeting lunar landings later this decade. For people in India, the rocket will launch at 3:54am on Thursday morning, April 2.
Mission details
Artemis II will launch on NASA's Space Launch System rocket
Artemis II will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever flown by the agency. The launch window opens today, with several backup opportunities in the coming days depending on weather conditions and technical readiness. After liftoff, Orion crew capsule will detach from the rocket's upper stage and enter a highly elliptical Earth orbit.
Mission phases
Crew will spend 1-2 days in high Earth orbit
The crew will spend the first one or two days in high Earth orbit, conducting extensive systems checks. These include testing Orion's life-support, propulsion, navigation and communications systems to ensure the spacecraft is ready for deep space. After these checkouts are complete, Orion's propulsion system will perform a critical engine burn called translunar injection, sending the spacecraft out of Earth's orbit toward the Moon.
Mission trajectory
The crew will reach farthest point from Earth during journey
During the multi-day journey to the Moon, astronauts will continue monitoring spacecraft systems as they operate farther from Earth than any previous human spaceflight. Mission controllers will monitor communications and navigation performance as Orion travels into deep space. The spacecraft will reach its farthest point from Earth during this phase on a free-return trajectory that naturally swings it back toward Earth without needing additional propulsion.
Mission return
After lunar flyby, the crew will return home safely
After the lunar flyby, the crew will spend several days returning home while conducting more deep-space tests. These include assessments of power systems, thermal controls, and crew operations far beyond low Earth orbit. As Orion nears Earth, it will separate key components before plummeting into the atmosphere at speeds of some 40,250km/h. Testing the capsule's heat shield during high-energy re-entry is one of the mission's main goals.