ON THE WAY TO THE MOON…
By Bernard Bujold -
The ARTIMIS program is NASA’s ambitious initiative to return humans to the Moon. The 2026 mission included the first woman and the first person from an ethnic minority, as part of long-term exploration, scientific discovery, and preparation for the exploration of Mars. Using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, the program aims to establish a sustainable lunar presence (Gateway) in collaboration with international partners.
-In 2022, “ARTEMIS I” was a test flight that entered orbit around the Moon to verify crew safety systems.
-In 2026, “ARTEMIS II” was the program’s first crewed flight, sending four astronauts on a 10-day loop around the Moon before returning to Earth;
-In 2027, “ARTEMIS III” plans to land astronauts on the lunar surface (specifically at the South Pole) using a commercial landing system;
-Finally, in 2028, “ARTEMIS IV” will focus on docking with the Lunar Gateway space station and establishing a sustainable presence on the surface. The next step will be building a village on the Moon...
The name “Artemis” was chosen for NASA’s modern lunar program because of its deep symbolic connection to the first lunar missions of the 1960s and 1970s. In Greek mythology, Artemis is Apollo’s twin sister. Since the first missions that allowed humans to set foot on the Moon were part of the Apollo program, naming this return to the Moon after his sister is a direct continuation of that legacy.
To be continued…
https://www.nasa.gov/
By Bernard Bujold -
The ARTIMIS program is NASA’s ambitious initiative to return humans to the Moon. The 2026 mission included the first woman and the first person from an ethnic minority, as part of long-term exploration, scientific discovery, and preparation for the exploration of Mars. Using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, the program aims to establish a sustainable lunar presence (Gateway) in collaboration with international partners.
-In 2022, “ARTEMIS I” was a test flight that entered orbit around the Moon to verify crew safety systems.
-In 2026, “ARTEMIS II” was the program’s first crewed flight, sending four astronauts on a 10-day loop around the Moon before returning to Earth;
-In 2027, “ARTEMIS III” plans to land astronauts on the lunar surface (specifically at the South Pole) using a commercial landing system;
-Finally, in 2028, “ARTEMIS IV” will focus on docking with the Lunar Gateway space station and establishing a sustainable presence on the surface. The next step will be building a village on the Moon...
The name “Artemis” was chosen for NASA’s modern lunar program because of its deep symbolic connection to the first lunar missions of the 1960s and 1970s. In Greek mythology, Artemis is Apollo’s twin sister. Since the first missions that allowed humans to set foot on the Moon were part of the Apollo program, naming this return to the Moon after his sister is a direct continuation of that legacy.
To be continued…
https://www.nasa.gov/
