It was scheduled to take place at 20.37 in Italy, the second attempt after which was postponed last Monday by up to two hours due to a fuel leak
At about 12 noon Italian time, the last green light to load the propellant for the rocket arrived from the launch manager space launch system (SLS) from the unmanned Artemis 1 mission to the Moon. But after trying from the Kennedy Space Center It was postponed a few days agoit seems that the mission will suffer from further delay: the sensors of the launcher continue to detect liquid hydrogen loss. The leak is located in one of the links along the fuel loading line between the central stage of the SLS rocket and the mobile launch platform. NASA technicians are working hard, but a new launch is planned When in Italy 20.37 It can be postponed up to two hours from the scheduled time.
First time for a woman on the moon
Tonight’s departure has been rescheduled, the agency explains come onrepresents the beginning A project that will bring man back to the satelliteThen plan a trip to Mars. In recent days, NASA has worked to correct technical difficulties that delayed the last minute of launch during the window originally scheduled for last Monday. At first it looked like one of the rocket’s four main engines was super hot, but it turns out It was just a reading from a ‘defective sensor’. Then a leak in the fuel tank had to be fixed.
Between 1969 and 1972, 12 astronauts walked on the moon, and fifty years later, Artemis I had one of his goals to go there. first time a woman. The name Artemis was chosen to recall the Apollo program that first brought man to the moon: in Greek mythology, Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo and a goddess associated with the Earth’s satellite.
Looking forward to 2024
What should leave today is a test flight of the 98-meter rocket and Orion capsule that will house the crew on board. Today there will be some mannequins equipped with sensors to record vibrations, acceleration and radiation levels. Orion will orbit the Moon before landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Then it is expected for 2024, It will be the crew of the Artemis 2 flight and orbiting the moon Without landing on the surface, similar to what Apollo 8 did. The four crew members will be identified by the end of this year.
Collaboration with SpaceX
So the third Artemis mission will be the first to bring astronauts to the moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. And for the first time NASA will land a manned spacecraft on the south pole of the moonWhere it was detected the presence of water in the form of ice. Previous moon landings have occurred near the satellite’s equator. Artemis 3 is scheduled to launch in 2025, but can be pushed back to 2026. Starting with Artemis 3, NASA plans to launch manned missions about once a year. For the mission, Elon Musk’s SpaceX was selected to build the lunar lander for Artemis 3. The SpaceX spacecraft, which is still under development, will serve as a shuttle From the Orion crew capsule to the lunar surface and back.
Ultimate goal: Mars
Artemis also provides Building a space station called Gateway It will revolve around the moon. The first two components, the housing unit and the power and propulsion system, are expected to be launched before 2024 with a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The Orion crews will be responsible for assembling the gate: they will spend between 30 and 60 days on the gate, and they will eventually be able to reach the probe that will allow them to travel to the moon and back. The portal should also serve as a stopping point for any future trips to Mars. The end goal of the Artemis program is actually what NASA calls “the next giant step: human exploration of Mars.” The US entity will use the knowledge gained by Artemis on the next generation of spacesuits, vehicles, propulsion, refueling and other areas to prepare for a trip to Mars. The goal is to learn how to sustain a human presence in deep space for a long time. Creating a “base camp” on the moon is part of the plan and astronauts will be able to stay on the moon for up to two months. While the trip to the Moon will only take a few days, the trip to Mars will take several months.