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NASA Artemis II Moon Mission: American space agency NASA is preparing to send humans to the Moon after more than 50 years. NASA’s most powerful rocket is ready to orbit the Moon under the Artemis II mission. It can be launched on February 6 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This will be a long journey of 6,85,000 miles (11,02,400 kilometers) which will be completed in about 10 days. In this mission, the Orion capsule will go to a distance of about 3,70,000 kilometers from the Earth. This distance will be covered to reach the back side of the Moon. NASA’s powerful rocket will fly in space at a tremendous speed of 39,400 kilometers per hour. In this mission, four astronauts will test life-saving systems while staying in the Orion capsule. There is a fierce competition between America and China to reach the Moon first. China has set a target of sending its astronauts to the Moon by 2030. Let us know about Artemis II mission and this superpowerful rocket. (All Photos: NASA)
The Artemis II mission is the most important milestone in NASA’s ambitious lunar program. This mission will take humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. This time NASA is using its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This rocket is considered to be the most powerful rocket ever. Astronauts will live inside the Orion capsule and test communication systems in deep space.
A total of four astronauts are involved in this mission. Among them, Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch are experienced NASA travelers. Jeremy Hansen will be the first Canadian astronaut to participate in this mission. Christina Koch will create history by becoming the first woman to travel to the Moon. Victor Glover will be the first black person to go into deep space.
The purpose of going to the Moon again is not just to reach there. NASA is working towards building a permanent base there. If the Artemis II mission is successful, the next step will be Artemis III. Under Artemis III, NASA will land humans on the south pole of the Moon next year. This mission will serve as a training ground for future travel to Mars.
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NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion capsule are approximately 100 meters high. This rocket contains enough fuel to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. When this rocket takes off, its speed reaches 24,500 miles per hour. This much power provides it with the necessary thrust to reach the Moon. The process of taking the rocket to the launchpad is also quite complex.
NASA’s ‘Crawler-Transporter 2’ slowly transports this 5,000 ton rocket to the launchpad. It takes approximately 12 hours to complete this short journey of four miles. ‘Wet dress rehearsal’ of the rocket is done before launching. In this, the entire process is tested by filling more than 7,00,000 gallons of fuel in the rocket. NASA engineers ensure that there is no mistake at the time of launching.
This journey to the moon will be no less than an exciting journey. The astronauts will head towards the Moon after circling the Earth twice. During this time they will also have to practice operating the Orion capsule manually. This is necessary for future missions where docking and undocking will be required. The astronauts will make a huge circle while passing past the moon.
The biggest challenge during the journey will be to deal with space radiation. A special radiation shelter has been built inside the Orion capsule. This will protect astronauts from dangerous solar flares. In this 10-day mission, passengers will also have to test emergency procedures. If any problem arises, they will have to fix it inside the capsule itself.
NASA does not want to compromise on security. Recently a bent cable was found in the flight termination system of the rocket. Apart from this, some malfunction was also seen in the valve that pressurizes the Orion capsule. Some leakage problems were also seen in oxygen pumping equipment. NASA technicians are working day and night to remove all these flaws.
The launch on 6th February will happen only when every device is completely safe. If weather conditions worsen or technical problems persist, NASA has 14 other dates available. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has made it clear that the safety of astronauts is paramount. They will fly only when they are completely prepared. Every rocket launch is a big challenge but NASA has full confidence in its preparations.
