UPDATE: NASA has confirmed it will launch the groundbreaking Artemis II mission on March 6, 2024, marking the first crewed voyage around the Moon in over 50 years. This mission will take four astronauts on a 10-day journey, making it the furthest humans have traveled in space since the Apollo program.
The launch is set to occur from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and follows a successful “wet dress rehearsal,” a critical test where the rocket is fully fueled and undergoes countdown simulations. NASA’s Lori Glaze announced that previous issues, including a hydrogen leak during an earlier test, have been resolved. “We successfully fueled the SLS rocket on schedule and completed a launch countdown simulation,” Glaze stated.
The Artemis II crew includes three Americans—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch—alongside Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. They will board the Orion capsule atop the Space Launch System (SLS), a towering rocket standing at 98 meters. This mission follows the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which flew in November 2022.
The mission will begin with the crew spending the first day in Earth’s orbit. If all systems are go, the spacecraft will embark on a four-day journey to the Moon, flying over the far side, which has never been visible from Earth. The Orion capsule will travel between 6,500 and 9,500 kilometers above the lunar surface, dedicating several hours to studying and photographing the Moon.
After completing its lunar flyby, the astronauts will return to Earth, culminating in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. This mission is pivotal not just for lunar exploration but also for paving the way for future lunar landings.
As excitement builds, the Artemis II mission is generating significant interest worldwide, symbolizing a major leap in human space exploration. Stay tuned for further updates as the launch date approaches!
