More than five decades after humans last travelled beyond low-Earth orbit, NASA is preparing to send astronauts around the Moon again. The Artemis II mission will test new spacecraft, deep-space travel systems and pave the way for future lunar landings.
NASA is preparing for a historic return to deep space
New Delhi: More than half a century after humans last travelled beyond Earth’s orbit, NASA is preparing for a historic return to deep space. The agency plans to launch the Artemis II mission as early as March 6, marking the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years.
The mission is part of the broader NASA Artemis Program, which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon and eventually support future missions to Mars.
Artemis II will send astronauts on a journey around the Moon and back without landing. The mission will last nearly 10 days, making it the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972 that humans travel beyond low-Earth orbit.
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Astronauts will travel aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by the powerful Space Launch System rocket. After reaching Earth orbit, the spacecraft will head toward the Moon, taking about four days to arrive. The crew will fly around the far side of the Moon- the region never visible from Earth before beginning their journey home.
The mission will carry four astronauts:
Reid Wiseman
Victor Glover
Christina Koch
Jeremy Hansen
The team will conduct tests, observe the Moon from a distance of about 6,500–9,500 km, and capture images during the flyby. The mission will conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Artemis II is primarily a test mission designed to verify whether NASA’s new systems work safely with humans onboard.
The spacecraft, life-support systems, navigation and communications technologies will all be evaluated during the journey.
If the mission succeeds, it will clear the path for Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts near the Moon’s south pole later in the decade.
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The Artemis programme is unfolding amid renewed global interest in lunar exploration. NASA has partnered with SpaceX to develop a lunar lander for Artemis III, while Blue Origin is also working on competing lunar technologies.
With China planning a human Moon landing by 2030, Artemis II is seen as a critical step in humanity’s return to the lunar frontier and the beginning of a new era of space exploration.
