According to Yahoo, prior to the Artemis 2 mission that launched in April, NASA meticulously planned for the next mission. Similar to previous missions, Artemis 3 is a key step in NASA’s ambitious goal of returning humans to the Moon and eventually flying to Mars.
To achieve this, NASA requires three main types of vehicles: a rocket, a crew module to take astronauts to their destination, and a landing system to bring them down to the surface. Artemis 2 demonstrated that the first two vehicles, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft, are functioning as expected. The Artemis 3 mission will test the final vehicle and will take place entirely in low Earth orbit. The core objective of this mission is to test the capability of the Orion spacecraft to rendezvous with the lander so NASA can address any issues before launching the lunar landing vehicle. Initially, Artemis 3 was described as the mission to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972. However, earlier this year, NASA announced a change in plans, turning Artemis 3 into a test mission while Artemis 4 will be the lunar landing mission. NASA is building the rocket and Orion module for the Artemis missions but has chosen two private companies to develop the systems to transport astronauts to the Moon’s surface: Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin. Currently, NASA shares that they intend to test the Orion’s capability to connect with “one or both” of the landers from the two companies.
The Orion spacecraft will seek to dock with SpaceX’s Starship and/or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon during the Artemis 3 mission in 2027. Photo: NASA
According to Scientific American, neither SpaceX’s Starship nor Blue Origin’s Blue Moon has been tested in such a scenario. In the most recent announcement regarding Artemis 3, NASA shared that astronauts will not only attempt to connect with the lander but also exit the Orion and board that vehicle, simulating the transition between spacecraft for a successful landing. The Orion will feature an improved thermal shield design to reduce the risks during reentry. The crew will also remain in the Orion longer than in the Artemis 2 mission, which lasted about 10 days. NASA has outlined preliminary plans for the testing in the Artemis 3 mission. The SLS rocket will launch the Orion carrying astronauts into Earth orbit. There, the crew will attempt to dock with the lunar lander and conduct a series of other tests designed to evaluate landing readiness. This process shares many similarities with the Apollo mission in 1969, where three astronauts spent 10 days in low Earth orbit testing their spacecraft’s lunar landing capabilities. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin have faced some challenges in commercializing space travel, primarily related to the launch vehicle needed to send the lunar lander into space for docking with NASA’s spacecraft. NASA’s future plans for the Moon, such as establishing a crewed base, depend on private spacecraft being able to deliver cargo to the Moon on a regular schedule, enabling astronauts to survive and support research. NASA has not disclosed the exact launch date for Artemis 3, only stating it will occur sometime in 2027. Similarly, the official launch date for Artemis 2 was announced just weeks prior. If everything goes according to plan, the Artemis 4 mission will launch in early 2028 to send astronauts to the Moon. The next mission, Artemis 5, is expected to launch in the same year and will also land on the Moon’s surface to begin base construction. NASA has indicated that they plan to launch lunar missions once a year after Artemis 5 concludes.
An Khang compiled.
