When does the Nasa Moon mission launch and who are the Ar...

What’s Happening

Alright so The first crewed Moon mission in 50 years could launch in February, preparing the way for a future landing.

When does the Nasa Moon mission launch and who are the Artemis II crew? 5 hours ago Save Pallab Ghosh , Science Correspondent and Alison Francis Save NASA Artemis II Crew: left Christina Koch, back Victor Glover (pilot), front Reid Wiseman (commander), right Jeremy Hansen The first crewed Moon mission in more than 50 years could be shipped soon as the first week of February. (and honestly, same)

The Artemis II mission, which will last about 10 days, could take its astronauts further into space than anyone has been before.

The Details

It aims to set the stage for an eventual human landing on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s. Nasas planned launch window opens on 6 February and runs into the spring.

The US space agency wants the rocket to blast off before the end of April. A date will not be set until final checks on its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion capsule - which carries the crew - and ground systems are completed.

Why This Matters

The mission will be shipped from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Who are the Artemis II crew and what will they be doing? Artemis IIs crew of four includes Nasas commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch.

This could have implications for future research in this area.

Key Takeaways

• A second mission specialist, Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, will also be on board.
• The mission involves the first crewed flight of SLS and Orion.
• Once they are safely in orbit, the astronauts will test how the Orion spacecraft handles.
• This will involve manually flying the capsule in Earth orbit to practise steering and lining up the spacecraft for future Moon landings.

The Bottom Line

The crew will also act as medical test subjects, sending back data and imagery from deep space. They will work in a small cabin in weightlessness.

What do you think about all this?