Photo credit: www.nasa.gov
The upcoming Artemis II mission represents a significant advance for NASA, marking the initial crewed flight of the Artemis program. During this historic mission, astronauts will embark on a journey aboard the Orion spacecraft, validating its systems and performance in the challenging environment of deep space. This initiative aims not only to facilitate lunar exploration for scientific and economic insights but also serves as a foundational step towards future manned missions to Mars, benefiting humanity as a whole.
Building on the achievements of the uncrewed Artemis I mission, Artemis II will showcase a wide range of capabilities of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft, essential for future deep space explorations. The operation will confirm the reliability of Orion’s life support systems, ensuring they can adequately support crew members during prolonged missions, while also permitting astronauts to rehearse operations critical to the success of subsequent missions, particularly Artemis III.
Launch Sequence
Launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Artemis II will send a four-member crew into space utilizing a Block 1 version of the SLS rocket. Following liftoff, the Orion spacecraft will execute a series of maneuvers to establish its orbit around Earth, ultimately setting the crew up for a lunar free return trajectory. This trajectory will leverage Earth’s gravitational pull to facilitate a return after a close flyby of the Moon. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The launch sequence will mirror that of Artemis I, with SLS propelling Orion into orbit before casting off boosters and other components. With the crew aboard, Orion, alongside its upper stage known as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), will initially orbit Earth twice to allow for system checks in a familiar environment. The first orbit will be elliptical, reaching altitudes between approximately 115 miles and 1,400 miles, lasting around 90 minutes, during which the ICPS will be activated to help maintain Orion’s trajectory. The second orbit will extend the spacecraft’s path to a high-Earth orbit, taking nearly 23.5 hours and spanning altitudes up to about 46,000 miles above Earth, significantly higher than the International Space Station’s orbit at around 250 miles.
Post-burn to achieve high-Earth orbit, Orion will detach from the upper stage, which will then be utilized as a target for the proximity operations demonstration. This crucial exercise will be monitored from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, with crew members manually piloting Orion as they approach the ICPS. Through this operation, they will assess the spacecraft’s handling and collect data essential for future mission routines, particularly those involving docking in lunar orbit during Artemis III.
System Checks and Assessments
Once the proximity operations demonstration is completed, the crew will transfer control of Orion back to mission control for the duration of the orbit, focusing on assessing the performance of various spacecraft systems in a space environment. After removing their launch suits, the astronauts will wear regular clothing during the mission until they switch back to their suits for reentry and recovery preparations.
While in orbit, the crew will conduct evaluations of critical life support systems, ensuring they can generate breathable air and effectively remove carbon dioxide and humidity generated by the astronauts’ activities. The extended orbital duration allows for thorough system testing during various scenarios, including high metabolic activity during exercise and restful periods during sleep. This will confirm the life support systems’ capabilities and readiness for the lunar flyby segment of the mission.
Orion will also assess its communication and navigation systems to ensure functionality for the lunar journey. During its elliptical orbit, the spacecraft will temporarily move beyond the coverage area of traditional GPS and NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, providing an early evaluation of the Deep Space Network’s capabilities, which will be pivotal for communication with astronauts throughout their mission to the Moon.
Once system checks are complete, Orion will execute the translunar injection (TLI) burn. The ICPS will have elevated Orion to high-Earth orbit, permitting the service module to deliver the final push for the Moon-bound trajectory. This maneuver sets the course for a four-day journey that will take them behind the Moon, tracing a figure-eight path that extends over 230,000 miles from Earth before returning.
The Journey to the Moon and a Natural Return
During the trip, astronauts will continue to analyze the spacecraft’s systems while performing essential operations related to Earth departure and return, practicing emergency protocols, and testing radiation protection measures.
The Artemis II crew’s journey will carry them approximately 4,600 miles past the Moon, where they will have the remarkable opportunity to view both the Earth and Moon from Orion’s windows—seeing the Moon prominently against the backdrop of Earth, which is nearly a quarter-million miles away.
With a return trajectory taking about four days, the entire mission is projected to last approximately ten days. Interestingly, this return will not require additional propulsion; instead, the mission harnesses the gravitational fields between Earth and the Moon, allowing Orion to be naturally drawn back to Earth after its excursion.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Lunar Expeditions
Following Artemis II, Orion and its crew will embark on another historic journey to the Moon, specifically aiming to land astronauts on the lunar surface during Artemis III. This mission will focus on establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon and initiating the construction of the Gateway space station, which will orbit the Moon.
Through the Artemis program, NASA is poised to expand lunar exploration significantly, ultimately paving the way for a lasting legacy in deep space exploration.
Source
www.nasa.gov