The Curiosity Cat

The Artemis II mission hailed a new era for space exploration, sparking the beginnings of the broader Artemis program to establish human life on the Moon and future Mars exploration. This test flight lasted 10 days, boarding NASA astronauts, commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, on the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. It was a momentous milestone, being the first man-crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 – over 50 years ago. So, what’s changed since the last lunar flight?

Artemis vs Apollo

Apollo 11, in 1969, served as the first historical landing on the moon – an achievement, which propelled the US in winning the Space Race against the USSR. Since then, several manned Apollo missions have successfully landed on, or orbited the Moon. It proved human travel to the Moon was possible. However, a lot has changed since then. For one, the Artemis II mission had proper toilets, despite its issues.

In terms of goals, Artemis II was similar to Apollo 8, orbiting the Moon to test run spacecraft systems for lunar landings. Artemis II, specifically, aimed to test systems for long-term space exploration and sustainability, marking the start of a grand space programme. Without the high-pressure, high-risk push for Apollo, with the Cold War provoked Space Race, Artemis prioritised safety and advanced engineering tests. Since the Apollo missions, using manual, analogue technology, Artemis II utilised advanced, digital, automated systems in light with modern technology, including computers 20,000-fold faster. Additionally, Apollo used the Saturn V rocket and Command/Service Module (CSM) to man 3 crew members as opposed to Artemis, which used the more powerful and versatile SLS rocket and larger Orion capsule, manning 4 crew members. Splashdown was also safer, with a more efficient airbag system, able to handle heavier weights.

Essentially, the goal of the Apollo missions entailed short exploratory visits to make the impossibility of deep space exploration possible. The Artemis missions aim to bring life and work to a whole other world.

Despite all the hype of living within a generation to witness this astronomical era, why does it all matter?

Why Artemis II matters?

Artemis II was a mission for manned spaceflight to the Moon to test the Orion spacecraft’s life support, communication, and navigation systems for future crews aboard the Artemis III, IV and V missions. The 10-day mission allowed scientists to investigate the effects of deep space radiation and microgravity on human health and psychology. Artemis II is just the beginning for the Artemis program, acting as a stepping stone towards building sustainable life on the lunar sphere, and exceptionally, first time exploration and human life on The Red Planet, Mars.

Preparing for the rest of Artemis

Artemis III will plan to take place mid-2027 – NASA’s aim to test commercial landers from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and potentially, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. This will launch crew aboard Orion in low Earth orbit to test run the rendezvous (process of bringing together) and docking (physical joining) between Orion and private commercial spacecraft, which are necessary to land astronauts on the Moon.

Following this, 2028 could be the most thrilling year yet. Early 2028 should see the launch of Artemis IV, marking the first Artemis lunar landing. The crew will transfer from the Orion spacecraft to a commercial lunar lander to transport them to the surface of the Moon and back, before splashing back down to Earth. Work will focus on standardising the SLS rocket to achieve at least one lunar mission a year, reduce development risks and costs.

Finally, Artemis V is planned to occur later in 2028, with hopes of launching to the lunar surface using the standardised SLS rocket. Subsequently, NASA aims to launch missions every year to build a permanent Moon base.

It’s not all smooth sailing…putting man back on the moon requires lunar landers. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin, providing the landers, are at least two years, and eight months, behind schedule, respectively. Unlike Apollo 11, the landers for Artemis need much more propellant to carry the greater mass of infrastructure for Moon exploration and base building. Adding to this pressure, a new space race may be brewing with China’s goals for a Moon landing in 2030. Although behind schedule, this is still an immense achievement for the US and mankind.

“As part of Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars” – NASA

Artemis Beyond Science

This mission was a momentous milestone for science, but equally, inspiring for underrepresented groups to pursue careers in STEM. The Orion spacecraft boarded the first woman, the first black astronaut, and the first Canadian to travel into deep space. This paves way for enhancing international collaboration, and mirroring the populations of modern society, uniting global diversity beyond our world. This is a significant mark in history for space travel and science but also for breaking historic barriers, encouraging young people of colour and women to pursue aerospace careers, which are predominantly made up of white males. There is a lot more to achieve in the Artemis program, with big goals ahead in the timeline – now more than ever, we need the diverse cooperation of the globe to empower the future generation into deep space success.

Space exploration highlights how colossal and spectacular the Universe is, and reminds us of how lucky we are that even “in all of this emptiness – this whole bunch of nothing we call the universe – you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together” (Victor Glover). This mission wasn’t just a giant leap for mankind but a giant leap of promise – curiosity will always carry us further than fear, the horizon is never the limit, and the story of humanity is still being written among the stars.