NASA Succeeds With Artemis II Mission 

By Leif Lesperance

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Artemis II on April 1 for the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. The flyby took 10 days to travel around the moon and then return to Earth. This mission was also NASA’s first mission with a crew on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.

The ship’s crew consisted of four astronauts. NASA astronauts included commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch. The three were joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. Together, the four paved the way for future manned lunar missions and inspired a new generation of deep space exploration.

Before its launch, NASA said that the Artemis II mission would “lay the foundation for safe and efficient human exploration of the Moon and Mars.” During the mission, the crew closely monitored the effects of deep space exploration on their bodies from factors like radiation and microgravity. They also studied the geological structure of the far side of the moon, analyzing and photographing notable terrain such as impact craters and ancient lava flows.

NASA had originally planned to launch the mission prior to its actual launch date, but engineers discovered an issue with the rocket’s fuel tank pressure regulation system during a routine fueling test in February. The rocket was then returned to the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building to be repaired, and the launch date was pushed back.

Plans are currently being formed to launch Artemis III and Artemis IV. The Artemis III plans to launch in 2027 and will test the docking capabilities of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft in order to prepare to land astronauts on the moon. The Artemis IV plans to launch in early 2028, and its mission will land a crew of astronauts on the surface of the moon.