The New Space Launch System and Artemis Moon Missions
While the last NASA astronauts to walk on the moon landed in 1972, this may change within the next few years. Like their brother missions throughout the 60s and 70s, the Artemis missions planned for the coming years will send new crews of astronauts to the moon. NASA has stated that they aim to land the first woman and person of color on the moon through these missions. With the first manned mission planned for 2023 (Artemis II), the agency is currently testing and preparing its new rockets for launch.
The Space Launch System (SLS) is NASA’s newest rocket, which they plan to use during the Artemis missions. Standing taller than the Statue of Liberty and weighing about 6 million pounds, the rocket is capable of carrying more than any other rocket so far. The rocket also has stronger engines, generating 15% more thrust than the Saturn V used in the Apollo missions, and while it has a lower weight threshold for how much it can launch when compared to the Saturn V, the SLS is better optimized to carry cargo and devotes less of its carrying capacity to fuel and rocket stages. Overall, the rocket has been specifically designed to maximize its launch power and carrying ability for deep space missions.
NASA. Meet The Rocket. 2014. "NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Rocket." National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 13 Aug. 2014, www.nasa.gov/sls/multimedia/gallery/sls-infographic3.html.
From the Artemis missions, NASA hopes to improve its procedures for studying the moon’s processes by allowing actual humans to do the tests and research. While robots are a great tool for research, having human researchers physically on the surface allows for quicker and more complex procedures to be executed. The main goals for Artemis’s research are to gain a better understanding of planetary processes on airless worlds, to test lunar ices for human use, and to learn more about the moon’s history as it connects to the earth and other bodies within our solar system.
As the missions progress, NASA also aims to establish the Artemis Base Camp for stays up to two months as well as the Gateway, an outpost orbiting the moon to be used for long-term space travel and deeper missions. Both of these projects, as well as the SLS, are being initiated in hopes of eventual human launches to Mars. The Base Camp would help the agency gain incredible experience for longer missions in the future, and the Gateway would play a vital role in allowing astronauts to travel further than they have ever been able to.
Currently, the rocket for the Artemis I launch has completed a roll-out to the launch pad and is preparing for its final test before launch where the launch team will load the propellant, conduct a launch countdown, and practice all of the timelines and procedures that will be used during the launch. The launch of this first unmanned mission is planned for mid-2022 and will pave the way for future Artemis missions.
About the Author
Oliver Ewy is currently a junior at Northwood High School. He has an interest in various scientific fields and would like to work in medicine in the future.
Sources:
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NASA. "Around the Moon with NASA’s First Launch of SLS with Orion." NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 29 Nov. 2021, www.nasa.gov/feature/around-the-moon-with-nasa-s-first-launch-of-sls-with-orion/.
NASA. "Moon Missions." NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, moon.nasa.gov/exploration/moon-missions/#2010s. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
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NASA. "NASA’s First Flight With Crew Important Step on Long-term Return to the Moon, Missions to Mars." NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 27 Aug. 2018, www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-first-flight-with-crew-important-step-on-long-term-return-to-the-moon-missions-to/.
NASA. "NASA’s Mega Moon Rocket, Spacecraft Complete First Roll to Launch Pad." NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 18 Mar. 2022, www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-mega-moon-rocket-spacecraft-complete-first-roll-to-launch-pad.
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