Man Returns to Moon After 50 Years – NASA’s Artemis 3 Project ‘Step by Step’

It’s not a science fiction movie, it’s not a joke, it’s not set in time… It’s happening now and our generation will witness perhaps the most historic moment for humanity, in the exploration of Space. NASA has announced the entire Artemis 3 project, through which man will return to the Moon after 50 years and establish a permanent base at the lunar South Pole, turning its gaze to the planet Mars in the next phase.

Man’s return to the Moon is planned for 2025 and the mission will include the first woman to travel in space. After two Artemis test missions, Artemis III will mark humanity’s first return to the lunar surface. NASA will make history by sending the first humans to explore the region near the lunar South Pole.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft will be the one that carries the crew to and from Earth and to and from lunar orbit. Orion is the only spacecraft capable of returning crews to Earth at lunar reentry speeds. On the successful Artemis I mission, Orion’s uniquely designed heat shield was recently tested under these extreme reentry conditions. Four astronauts will depart from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Space Launch System (SLS). The crew will be selected using criteria covering unique skills and intensive training.

Step by step the design for Artemis III

-First the crew will launch into Earth orbit where they will perform system checks and solar panel adjustments on Orion.

-Next, a strong boost from the SLS cryogenic propulsion intermediate stage will help Orion perform an interlunar injection maneuver, orienting its course toward the Moon.

-For several days, the crew will travel to the Moon and perform corrective engine burns to intercept the Moon’s gravitational field.

-At the right time and location, Orion will perform a series of two engine firings to place the spacecraft in a near-rectilinear lunar orbit (NRHO). Out of hundreds of possible orbits, NASA chose NRHO to achieve Artemis’ long-term goals. NRHO will provide near-constant communication with Earth and access to sites around the Moon. Because it is gravitationally balanced between Earth and the Moon, this orbit will maximize fuel efficiency. In future missions, NASA and its partners will assemble the Gateway lunar space station at NRHO to serve as a hub for Artemis missions.

The partnership with SpaceX

NASA has selected SpaceX to provide the human landing system that will carry Artemis III astronauts from Orion to lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back again. SpaceX plans to use a unique operations concept to increase the overall performance of its lander. After a series of tests, SpaceX’s craft will conduct at least one uncrewed demonstration mission that will land the Starship on the lunar surface. When the Starship meets all requirements and NASA’s high standards for crew safety, it will be ready for its first Artemis mission.

What does the SpaceX mission entail?

-Before the crew launch, SpaceX will launch a storage depot into Earth orbit.

-A series of reusable tankers will transport propellant to the storage depot to power the human lander.

-The uncrewed human Starship lander will then launch into Earth orbit and rendezvous with the storage depot to fill its tanks before performing an interlunar injection engine burn and traveling approximately six days to NRHO where the Artemis crew will await III.

-When both spacecraft arrive at NRHO, Orion will dock with the Starship human lander in preparation for the first lunar surface mission of the 21st century.

-Once their crew and supplies are ready, two astronauts will board the Starship and two will remain on the Orion.

-Next, Orion will detach and move away from the Starship to remain in NRHO for approximately one orbit around the Moon, lasting approximately 6.5 days. This will match the duration of the surface mission, so as Orion completes its orbit, the two-person surface crew will finish their work on the surface in time to launch back up to rendezvous with the spacecraft.

The selected sites – The stages of the mission on the surface of the Moon

NASA has set its sights on sites around the South Pole for lunar exploration. The extreme, adverse conditions make it a difficult location for Earthlings to land, live and work, but the region’s unique features promise unprecedented scientific discoveries in deep space. Using advanced technology, including autonomous systems, the crew inside the Starship will land at a carefully selected location within a 100-meter radius.

-After landing, the first task of the surface crew will be to ensure that all systems are ready for their stay on the lunar surface. They will then rest, eat and refresh for the first full day of the mission.

-During their time on the Moon, the astronauts will do scientific work inside the Starship and conduct a series of moonwalks, leaving the Starship to explore the surface.

-Astronauts will don advanced spacesuits, exit through a vent and descend into the Starship’s elevator. NASA selected Axiom Space to provide the Artemis III surface suits and spacewalk systems. These suits will give astronauts increased range of motion and flexibility to explore more of the landscape than on previous lunar missions.

-During their moonwalks, astronauts will take photos and videos, survey geology, retrieve samples, and collect other data to achieve specific scientific goals. The view from the lunar South Pole region will be very different from the pictures taken by the Apollo missions in the lunar equatorial region. The Sun will hover just above the horizon, casting long, dark shadows across the ground, which the crew will explore using searchlights and navigation tools. The information and materials collected by the Artemis III astronauts will increase our understanding of the mysterious South Pole region, the Moon and our solar system.

-Mission control teams on the ground will be in contact with the crew as they relay what they see, hear and feel. Through mission coverage and the ability to send high-quality images and video to the ground with advanced communications technology, they will share a unique new human experience with the world.

-When their surface mission is complete, the two astronauts will lift off the surface of the Moon and head back to NRHO in the Starship to rejoin their colleagues on Orion.

-After docking, the crew will spend up to five days in orbit, transferring samples between vehicles and preparing for the return trip to Earth.

The journey back to Earth

-When they reach the optimal NRHO departure point, with the four astronauts back on Orion, they will disengage and ignite Orion’s engines, passing the spacecraft past the Moon and allowing it to head for Earth.

-The crew will travel approximately 24,855 miles (about 40,000 kilometers) per hour upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

-With the help of 11 parachutes, the spacecraft will launch into the Pacific Ocean where the crew will be recovered with the support of the US Coast Guard and the US Navy.

This mission will usher in a future in which humans have constant access to the Moon and human planetary exploration missions are feasible. Each Artemis mission will increase our knowledge, improve our operations and prove our technology as we prepare for the first human mission to Mars.

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