Houston, we have a problem. By the time you read this, it’s likely that some of the information will be out of date – that’s just the nature of human space flight. So the first thing I’m giving you are links to stay up to date, because very soon four of your fellow Houstonians will be traveling to the Moon, and you don’t want to miss it! For the most current launch and mission information, check the Aretemis Facebook or Aretemis Website.
I’m talking, of course, about Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed flight to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. After five decades, humans are set to return to lunar orbit, and Houston is right at the middle of the action. It’s Houstonians that will go and Houstonians that will take them there. From planning, to training, to hardware development and certification, the amazing men and women at Johnson Space Center are central to the mission. We have a lot to be proud of here in the Space City as we’re about to make history. Here’s a primer on what’s going on!
What is Artemis?
Humans have been living, working, and conducting research on the International Space Station (ISS) for the last 25 years. With over 280 crew members having visited the continuously inhabited the floating outpost, which orbits Earth, the ISS is a remarkable achievement of both engineering and international cooperation. Artemis aims to build off of the experience gained from the ISS and take humans one step further in exploration. The series of missions will return astronauts to the Moon with a long-term goal of expanding our knowledge and deep space capabilities for eventual missions to Mars and beyond. The main components include:
- Space Launch System (SLS): A new rocket that combines proven Space Shuttle components with new technologies to launch people and payloads further deep into space.
- Orion: A new spacecraft designed to carry astronauts on deep space exploration
missions. - Lunar Landers: Vehicles designed to safely carry astronauts from the Orion vehicle, while it orbits the Moon, to the lunar surface and back. These are currently in development with NASA’s commercial partners SpaceX and Blue Origin.
- Surface Exploration Equipment: New spacesuits, rovers, tools, and other items needed to explore the Lunar surface and conduct research.
All of these and more are currently in development by NASA and their industry partners, and in cooperation with the European (ESA), Japanese (JAXA), Canadian (CSA), and UAE space agencies. The Artemis I through IV missions serve as integrated flight tests verifying each component functions as designed. Beginning with Artemis V, slated for late 2028, NASA and its partners are aiming to begin building a Moon base and host yearly surface missions. As exciting as it is, Artemis is just a stepping stone in the broader exploration program. With an eye on eventually sending humans to Mars, a key goal of Artemis is to advance technology and to learn how to live and work on another world. Space geek that I am, I could go on and on about Gateway and NASA’s exploration aims, but instead I’ll leave you with a link to read up on your own.
Artemis II: Where is it Going and Why?
Trajectory for Artemis II, showing its planned path around the Earth and the Moon, and indicating key mission milestones.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman (NASA), Victor Glover (NASA), Christina Koch (NASA), and Jeremy Hansen (CSA) are ready to make history! Soon they will begin their final preparations and quarantine ahead of the Artemis II mission, the first crewed test flight of the Artemis Program during which astronauts and flight controllers will verify the Orion spacecraft’s critical systems and operations. Artemis I, which flew in late 2022, saw the successful unmanned test flight of the SLS and Orion vehicle. Traveling 1.4 million miles over 25 days, NASA verified the core rocket and vehicle functions and ability to ferry crew and cargo to the moon and back. Artemis II will follow a similar flight path, this time carrying the four astronauts on-board, for a planned 10-day journey.
The main mission objectives are to test, test TEST! While still close to Earth, astronauts will demonstrate manual control of the vehicle in what’s called a proximity operations maneuver, providing data and experience needed for future docking/undocking of lunar landers. Then they will hand control back to Houston’s own Johnson Space Center, who will verify life support, communications, navigation, and other systems. Following these checks, the vehicle will get its last push (a “translunar injection burn”) out of Earth’s orbit and begin its course around the Moon.
While in route, the astronauts will continue evaluation of the spacecraft including practicing emergency procedures, testing the radiation shelter, and of course, making observations of the Moon. With an emphasis on finding potential future landing sites, crew members will photograph the lunar surface and capture 3-dimensional imagery not easily obtained with satellites. NASA is particularly interested in observations of the far side of the Moon, which has never been seen before.
The mission will conclude when Orion re-enters Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 30 times the speed of sound and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, where it will be recovered by the US Navy – another test of new procedures.
Ready for Launch!
This history making mission is set to launch on April 1, 2026 at 5:24PM Central Time from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once it’s up, you can follow the crew on their journey through the Artemis Real-time Orbit Website and app, which will also offer real time data as it’s sent to Mission Control. Personally I know I’ll be watching the launch and tracking the mission. As a former JSC employee myself, I can call many of the men and women involved friends, and I am eager to cheer them on!
