NASA announces first crewed mission to the Moon in 50 years, scheduled for February

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NASA announces first crewed mission to the Moon in 50 years scheduled for February
NASA announces first crewed mission to the Moon in 50 years scheduled for February (X @NASA)

NASA announced that four astronauts are scheduled to travel around the Moon in February next year on the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight to the satellite in five decades.

The crew, consisting of Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen, will remain aboard the Orion capsule for the ten-day trip without performing a lunar landing. The flight will serve as a test of the spacecraft and the SLS rocket, considered essential for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

The launch, planned for February 5, will still undergo final tests, including completion of the Orion capsule and ground rehearsals. Launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson stated that the rocket is practically ready, while Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA’s acting deputy administrator, emphasized that crew safety remains the top priority.

Artemis II will also allow the team to practice crucial operations for the future Artemis III, when astronauts are expected to finally walk on the lunar surface.

According to NASA, the mission will take the Orion capsule at least 9,200 km beyond the Moon, the farthest distance reached by a crew since Apollo 17 in 1972. The test flight will check all spacecraft systems in real deep-space conditions and reinforce planning for future scientific and commercial exploration of the Moon, while establishing the foundation for crewed missions to Mars. In parallel, the agency is considering new asteroid defense strategies to protect the Moon and the crew.

Source: LADbible | Photo: X @NASA | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team

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