NASA is targeting , as the earliest possible launch date for Artemis II, a crewed mission designed to fly around the Moon. The announcement follows a successful fueling test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on .
The Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen – on a ten-day journey. This will be the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, and the first flight of the SLS rocket and Orion capsule with a human crew. The astronauts will follow a “free-return trajectory,” looping around the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
While the mission won’t involve a lunar landing or entering lunar orbit, it will push the boundaries of human spaceflight, sending the crew farther from Earth than anyone has traveled before, surpassing the distance record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1971. The projected distance of the flyby is approximately 6,400 miles (10,300 km) from the lunar surface.
The successful completion of the “wet dress rehearsal” – the fueling test – was a critical step. The test involved filling the SLS rocket with over 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant and simulating the launch countdown. A previous attempt on was curtailed due to hydrogen fuel leaks, necessitating repairs and delaying launch opportunities. According to Lori Glaze, manager of NASA’s Moon-to-Mars Program, the March 6th target is contingent on completing work at the launch pad and a thorough review of the test data.
The SLS rocket is described as the most powerful operational launcher in the world. The Orion spacecraft, designed for deep space missions, will also be making its first crewed flight. The mission represents a significant leap forward in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and eventually, Mars.
The Artemis II crew will enter pre-flight medical quarantine at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on . They are scheduled to travel to the Kennedy Space Center on , to begin final preparations and spend time with their families before launch.
This mission is notable for several firsts: Victor Glover will become the first person of color to travel beyond Earth orbit, Christina Koch will be the first woman to do so, and Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-American to journey around the Moon. The crew will experience a re-entry speed of approximately 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 km/h), the fastest ever for a human spacecraft.
The choice of hydrogen as the rocket’s fuel, despite its propensity for leaks, highlights a long-standing challenge in spaceflight. Hydrogen offers high energy per unit mass, making it ideal for achieving the velocity required for deep space missions. However, its extremely low temperature and small molecular size make it difficult to contain, leading to leakage issues. NASA engineers continue to refine sealing technologies and procedures to mitigate these risks.
Following the mission, the Orion capsule and its crew will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where they will be recovered by the U.S. Navy using a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock. The success of Artemis II is crucial for paving the way for future Artemis missions, including Artemis III, which is planned to land astronauts on the Moon’s south pole.
