La misión Artemis II de la NASA, que enviará a cuatro astronautas en una misión de casi 10 días alrededor de la Luna y de regreso a la Tierra, llevará adelante el objetivo de la agencia de enviar astronautas a la región del Polo Sur de la Luna y ayudará a sentar las bases para futuras misiones tripuladas a Marte.

La tripulación de Artemis II no solo será la primera tripulación en poner a prueba la nave espacial Orión de la NASA en el espacio: también llevará a cabo investigaciones científicas que darán forma a las futuras misiones al espacio profundo. Entre ellas, se incluye una investigación científica lunar mientras Orión vuela a unos 6.400 a 9.660 kilómetros (4.000 a 6.000 millas) de la superficie lunar. Desde esta distancia, la Luna se verá del tamaño de una pelota de baloncesto sostenida con el brazo extendido y ofrecerá una oportunidad única para hacer observaciones científicas.

A medida que Orión pase por el lado lejano de la Luna —el lado que siempre mira en dirección opuesta a la Tierra—, la tripulación analizará y fotografiará las características geológicas de la superficie, como cráteres de impacto y antiguos flujos de lava, apoyándose en su extensa capacitación en geología llevada a cabo en el aula y en lugares de la Tierra similares a la Luna. Los astronautas también practicarán cómo describir los matices en las formas, las texturas y los colores de las características de la superficie. Este tipo de información revela la historia geológica de un lugar y será fundamental recopilarla cuando los astronautas de Artemis III exploren la superficie.

“Artemis II es una oportunidad para que los astronautas pongan en práctica las destrezas científicas lunares que han desarrollado durante su entrenamiento”, dijo Kelsey Young, líder de ciencia lunar de Artemis II en el Centro de Vuelo Espacial Goddard de la NASA en Greenbelt, Maryland. “También es una oportunidad para que los científicos y los ingenieros en el control de la misión colaboren en tiempo real durante las operaciones, aprovechando los años de pruebas y simulaciones que nuestros equipos han llevado a cabo juntos”.

Young lidera un equipo de científicos con experiencia en cráteres de impacto, vulcanismo, tectonismo y hielo lunar, quienes proporcionarán el análisis de los datos en tiempo real y darán orientación a la tripulación de Artemis II en el espacio. Durante la misión, el equipo de expertos en la Luna estará ubicado en la Sala de Evaluación Científica del control de misiones en el Centro Espacial Johnson de la NASA en Houston.

Los cuatro astronautas de Artemis II, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover y Christina Koch de la NASA, y Jeremy Hansen de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense), podrían ser los primeros seres humanos en ver a simple vista algunas partes del lado lejano de la Luna, dependiendo de la trayectoria final de la nave espacial según lo determinado en el lanzamiento. Durante las nueve misiones Apolo que dejaron la órbita de la Tierra, los astronautas vieron partes del lado lejano de la Luna, pero no su totalidad, ya que estaban limitados por los sectores iluminados durante sus órbitas.

Una región que antes no estuvo iluminada y que podrían observar es la Cuenca Oriental, un cráter de 966 kilómetros (600 millas) de ancho que sirve como punto de transición entre el lado cercano y el lado lejano, y que a veces es parcialmente visible a lo largo del borde occidental de la Luna.

También es posible que los astronautas observen los destellos de luz de las rocas espaciales que chocan contra la superficie —estas serían pistas que ayudarían a conocer la frecuencia con la que la Luna recibe impactos— o polvo flotando sobre el borde de la Luna, un fenómeno misterioso que los científicos desean entender.

Las observaciones de la tripulación ayudarán a allanar el camino para las actividades científicas lunares en futuras misiones de la campaña Artemis a la superficie de la Luna, incluyendo la misión Artemis III. Los astronautas de Artemis III investigarán los accidentes del terreno, las rocas y otras características alrededor de su sitio de aterrizaje. También recolectarán muestras de rocas para generaciones de análisis en laboratorios de la Tierra y montarán varios instrumentos para investigar las propiedades y los recursos lunares. Esta será información crítica para los futuros esfuerzos de exploración con seres humanos.

“Ya sea que estén mirando por las ventanas de la nave espacial o caminando por la superficie, los astronautas de Artemis trabajarán en nombre de todos los científicos para reunir pistas sobre los antiguos procesos geológicos que dieron forma a la Luna y a nuestro sistema solar”, dijo Cindy Evans, líder de capacitación e integración estratégica de la campaña Artemis de la NASA, desde el centro Johnson de la NASA. 

Además de las observaciones científicas lunares, la tripulación recopilará datos sobre los efectos del entorno espacial en la salud y el desempeño de la tripulación. Estos experimentos serán gestionados mediante la Dirección de Operaciones de Misiones de Carga Útil en el Centro de Vuelo Espacial Marshall de la NASA, en Huntsville, Alabama, en estrecha coordinación con el control de la misión. Estos datos podrían fundamentar la exploración lunar a largo plazo y las futuras misiones a Marte con seres humanos.

NASA's Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts on a nearly 10-day mission around the Moon and back to Earth, will further the agency's goal of sending astronauts to the Moon's South Pole region and help lay the groundwork for future manned missions to Mars.

The Artemis II crew will not only be the first crew to test NASA's Orion spacecraft in space: they will also conduct scientific research that will shape future deep space missions. These include lunar scientific research as Orion flies about 6,400 to 9,660 kilometers (4,000 to 6,000 miles) from the lunar surface. From this distance, the Moon will look the size of a basketball held with an outstretched arm and offer a unique opportunity to make scientific observations.

As Orion passes the far side of the Moon - the side that always faces away from Earth - the crew will analyze and photograph surface geological features such as impact craters and ancient lava flows, building on their extensive classroom geology training and Moon-like locations on Earth. Astronauts will also practice describing nuances in the shapes, textures, and colors of surface features. This type of information reveals the geological history of a place and it will be essential to collect it when Artemis III astronauts explore the surface.

“Artemis II is an opportunity for astronauts to put into practice the lunar science skills they have developed during their training,” said Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It's also an opportunity for scientists and engineers in mission control to collaborate in real time during operations, taking advantage of the years of testing and simulations our teams have conducted together.”

Young leads a team of scientists with expertise in impact craters, volcanism, tectonism, and lunar ice, who will provide real-time data analysis and guidance to the Artemis II crew in space. During the mission, the team of Moon experts will be located in the Mission Control Scientific Evaluation Room at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. **The word 'tectonism' is incorrect. The correct term is 'tectonics'.

The four Artemis II astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), could be the first humans to see parts of the far side of the Moon with the naked eye, depending on the spacecraft's final trajectory as determined at launch. During the nine Apollo missions that left Earth's orbit, the astronauts saw parts of the far side of the Moon, but not all of it, as they were limited by the illuminated sectors during their orbits.

One previously unlit region you might see is the Eastern Basin, a 600-mile-wide (966-kilometer) crater that serves as a transition point between the near side and the far side, and is sometimes partially visible along the western edge of the Moon. **The name Eastern Basin is incorrect. The correct name can be either Orientale Basin or Mare Orientale.

It is also possible for astronauts to observe the flashes of light from space rocks hitting the surface - these would be clues that would help to know the frequency with which the Moon receives impacts - or dust floating on the edge of the Moon, a mysterious phenomenon that scientists want to understand.

The crew's observations will help pave the way for lunar science activities on future Artemis campaign missions to the Moon's surface, including the Artemis III mission. Artemis III astronauts will investigate accidents of terrain, rocks, and other features around their landing site. They will also collect rock samples for generations of analysis in laboratories on Earth and assemble various instruments to investigate lunar properties and resources. This will be critical information for future human exploration efforts.

“Whether they are looking out the windows of the spacecraft or walking on the surface, Artemis astronauts will work on behalf of all scientists to gather clues about the ancient geological processes that shaped the Moon and our solar system,” said Cindy Evans, strategic integration and training leader for NASA's Artemis campaign, from NASA's Johnson Center.

In addition to lunar scientific observations, the crew will collect data on the effects of the space environment on crew health and performance. These experiments will be managed through the Payload Mission Operations Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in close coordination with mission control. These data could inform long-term lunar exploration and future missions to Mars with humans.

NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts on an almost 10-day mission around the Moon and back to Earth, will advance the agency’s goal of sending astronauts to the lunar South Pole region and help lay the groundwork for future crewed missions to Mars.

The Artemis II crew will not only be the first to test NASA’s Orion spacecraft in space: they will also conduct scientific research that will shape future deep-space missions. Among them is lunar scientific research as Orion flies approximately 6,400 to 9,660 kilometers (4,000 to 6,000 miles) from the lunar surface. From this distance, the Moon will appear about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length and will offer a unique opportunity for scientific observations. 

As Orion passes over the far side of the Moon—the side that always faces away from Earth—the crew will analyze and photograph the surface’s geological features, such as impact craters and ancient lava flows, drawing on their extensive geology training in the classroom and at Earth-based sites similar to the Moon. The astronauts will also practice describing the nuances in the shapes, textures, and colors of surface features. This type of information reveals the geological history of a place and will be essential to collect when the Artemis III astronauts explore the surface. 

“Artemis II is an opportunity for the astronauts to put into practice the lunar science skills they’ve developed during their training,” said Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. It’s also an opportunity for scientists and engineers in mission control to collaborate in real time during operations, leveraging the years of testing and simulations our teams have conducted together. **This last paragraph is missing the quotation marks compared to the first translation.

Young leads a team of scientists with expertise in impact craters, volcanism, tectonics, and lunar ice, who will provide real-time data analysis and guidance to the Artemis II crew in space. During the mission, the team of lunar experts will be stationed in the Science Evaluation Room at Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The four Artemis II astronauts—NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and the CSA’s (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen—could be the first humans to see parts of the far side of the Moon with the naked eye, depending on the spacecraft’s final trajectory as determined at launch. During the nine Apollo missions that left Earth orbit, the astronauts saw parts of the far side of the Moon, but not all of it, since they were limited to the illuminated sectors during their orbits.

One region that was previously unlit and that you might observe is the Orientale Basin, a 966-kilometer (600-mile) wide crater that serves as a transition point between the near side and the far side, and that is sometimes partially visible along the western edge of the Moon.

It’s also possible that astronauts will observe flashes of light from space rocks colliding with the surface—these would provide clues to help determine how often the Moon is struck—or dust floating above the lunar horizon, a mysterious phenomenon that scientists are eager to understand. 

The crew’s observations will help pave the way for lunar scientific activities on future Artemis campaign missions to the Moon’s surface, including the Artemis III mission. The Artemis III astronauts will investigate terrain features, rocks, and other characteristics around their landing site. They will also collect rock samples for analysis in Earth-based laboratories and deploy various instruments to investigate lunar properties and resources. This will be critical information for future human exploration efforts.

“Whether they’re looking out the spacecraft windows or walking on the surface, the Artemis astronauts will work on behalf of all scientists to gather clues about the ancient geological processes that shaped the Moon and our solar system,” said Cindy Evans, NASA’s Artemis campaign strategic integration and training lead, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center. 

In addition to lunar scientific observations, the crew will collect data on the effects of the space environment on crew health and performance. These experiments will be managed by the Payload Missions Operations Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in close coordination with mission control. This data could underpin long-term lunar exploration and future human missions to Mars.