After 52 years, humans are gearing up for a return to the moon with NASA’s Artemis II mission. Scheduled to launch no earlier than Feb. 6, this historic journey will see four astronauts – Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, along with NASA’s Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover – orbiting the moon.
Before the astronauts embark on this significant mission, thorough checks are required for both the rocket and spacecraft. The massive 100-meter tall Space Launch System (SLS) is set to be rolled out on Saturday, as announced by John Honeycutt, Artemis II mission management team chair, during a recent press conference.
The SLS and the Orion spacecraft, which will house the astronauts for 10 days, have only been launched once for the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022. Now, they are prepared for human passengers, although the four astronauts will not land on the moon during this mission. Instead, they will conduct lunar surveillance, experiments, and test the spacecraft in anticipation of Artemis III, where astronauts are slated to walk on the moon, tentatively in 2028.
The rollout of the SLS is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET this Saturday, with an estimated journey time of eight to 12 hours for the rocket to reach the pad. Following this, preparations such as retracting the crew access arm and making necessary connections will be carried out. Subsequently, a wet dress rehearsal will be conducted to simulate launch day procedures before obtaining clearance for liftoff.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, exploration ground systems, emphasized the importance of the upcoming wet dress rehearsal, highlighting the lessons learned from the Artemis I test flight. With meticulous preparations in place, the countdown for the Artemis II mission continues, marking a significant step in space exploration.