NASA's biggest project yet has been a success. The Artemis I Orion spacecraft completed its trip of 1.4 million miles and returned to Earth on December 11th. It has since made its journey from the Naval Base in San Diego to the Kennedy Space Center.
What's Next for the Artemis Mission
The return of the spacecraft means that the mission is going as planned, even if you consider the multiple delays that were experienced with the launch. For now, NASA will prioritize examining the Orion spacecraft.
NASA will take Orion's heat shield apart to analyze the component extensively, and determine how its reentry into the Earth's atmosphere affected it. They will also look at Moonikin Campos, the test dummy that was onboard to study how the flight would affect humans.
NASA expressed that Artemis I was a huge step forward toward NASA's lunar exploration efforts, which sets the stage for the next mission, which will involve humans flying around the Moon aboard Artemis II, as mentioned in Engadget.
The Artemis II launch date is still unknown, which is understandable considering Artemis I had just finished its mission. However, NASA did say that it will announce the mission around early 2023, which will be manned with a four-person crew.
The second Artemis mission will not return man to the moon just yet, but it is an important step to make sure that systems for the next mission will go accordingly. Like Artemis I, the second mission will test the range of the SLS and the Orion spacecraft for deep space missions.
It will also make sure that the conditions within the spacecraft are suitable for supporting life. It should be able to sustain the astronauts onboard on longer missions, while they practice operations that will support the next step which is the Artemis III.
Artemis II's flight will be a hybrid free return trajectory. They will use the Earth's gravity to pull the spacecraft back after traveling around the Moon. It will orbit the Earth twice first to conduct tests on the systems while it's still close to home.
The End Goal
Ultimately, NASA plans to build an Artemis Base Camp on the Surface of the Moon, as well as the Gateway in lunar orbit. This will be a big step toward scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for the next generation.
The Gateway is a spaceship that will remain in the lunar orbit for more than a decade. People will be working and living with the spacecraft, which will support long-term science and human exploration on and around the moon, according to NASA.
It will also work as a stopover for astronauts, where they will transfer from the Orion spacecraft to a lander that will get them to the Moon. The human landing system will be the final mode of transportation that will take astronauts from the lunar orbit to the lunar surface.
The Artemis missions will not only allow humans to establish a hold on the Moon, but it will also bring us closer to a Mars exploration that is led by humans.
