"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," said commander Neil Armstrong as he took the first-ever steps onto the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Right now NASA is taking the next leap into space exploration, starting with a visit to our old friend, the moon. Though it may seem like a long time away, NASA is already preparing for the next manned mission to the moon in 2024. It is part of a new program known as Artemis, named after the twin sister of Apollo from Greek mythology. Among other things, Artemis is said to be a goddess of the moon.

According to NASA, the Artemis program is “a catalyst for deep space missions.” Landing on the lunar South Pole, the rocket will deliver the first woman and the next man to our orbiting neighbor. By 2028, NASA hopes to create a sustainable form of exploration back and forth. NASA mentions three main purposes of this program: “To learn, to access resources, and to prepare for Mars.” From NASA’s point of view, Artemis is just a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of bringing humans to Mars, using new research from the moon to educate those efforts.

Going to the moon is no small trip, and in order to complete these tasks efficiently, new technology is needed.  The most prominent advancement is the SLS or “Space Launch System.” The SLS is the spacecraft responsible for all missions associated with Armetis. It will be “the most powerful rocket ever developed.” Between four RS-25 engines, about 2 million pounds of thrust will be produced during its flight, bringing it 280,000 miles into space.

Recently, on December 9th, NASA celebrated Artemis Day, recognizing the completion of the SLS core stage, which is being moved to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. At this space center, they will commence a “green run test” in which the core stage and propulsion systems will be tested, along with computers, avionic units, control systems, and software involved the first 8 minutes in flight. 

Standing 212 feet high, the core stage weighs 188,000 lbs and can hold up to  537,000 gallons. Its purpose it to store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for the engines. It is the “backbone” of the rocket. Besides the SLS, they are working on new ground systems, lunar landers, and spacesuits. They additionally are creating Gateway, a new space station to serve as a home base for these missions, and Orion, a new command module.

This program is divided into three main missions. The first, Artemis I, is a test of the rocket without a crew. Artemis I is in progress towards launching in mid-2020, if all goes well. Similarly, Artemis II is another flight test, with a crew included, and will take place in 2022. Finally, in 2024 Artemis III will put the next humans on the moon, and continue to each year after to conduct research.

NASA is making its way to the moon again for the first time since 1975, when the Apollo program ended. The next few years will be busy ones for NASA, so keep a lookout for updates, as there will be many advances in the meantime. 

All information is from https://www.nasa.gov/.

Want to learn more? Visit https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/.