As NASA’s mega Moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), arrived at the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the final preparations for the Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years, are underway.
The 98-metre-tall SLS rocket, carried by a massive crawler-transporter, made the 6.5-kilometre journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B over the course of nearly 12 hours, travelling at a top speed of just 1.3 km/h. The Artemis II crew – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen – were on hand to witness the historic moment.
In the coming days, the rocket will undergo a “wet dress rehearsal,” a test of the fuel operations and countdown procedures, before the mission can be given the green light. NASA is targeting a launch window as early as 6th February, with additional opportunities later in the month, as well as in March and April.
The Artemis II mission will see the four astronauts travel around the Moon, marking the first crewed mission to the lunar surface since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. While the mission will not land on the Moon, it will pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which is planned to take place no earlier than 2027, with 2028 being the earliest possible date.
“Astronauts are the calmest people on launch day,” said astronaut Christina Koch. “And I think… it feels that way because we’re just so ready to fulfil the mission that we came here to do, that we’ve trained to do.”
The Artemis II mission will also provide the astronauts with a unique perspective of the Earth, as they will be travelling to an orbit 40,000 miles out, around a fifth of the way to the Moon. During their time in this orbit, the crew will have three hours dedicated to lunar observation, studying the Moon’s geology to help plan and prepare for future landing missions.
A key component of the Orion spacecraft that the astronauts will be flying in is the European Service Module, built by Airbus in Bremen, Germany. This module provides the propulsion, power, and life support systems necessary for the journey to the Moon and back.
“The European Service Module is so important – we basically can’t get to the Moon without it,” said Sian Cleaver, a spacecraft engineer at Airbus. “It provides the propulsion that Orion needs to get us to the Moon.”
With the rocket now on the launch pad, the Artemis team is working around the clock to ensure the mission’s success. Despite years of delays, NASA has made it clear that crew safety is the top priority, and they will not compromise on this.
“I’ve got one job, and it’s the safe return of Reid and Victor and Christina and Jeremy,” said John Honeycutt, chair of the Artemis mission management team. “We’re going to fly when we’re ready… crew safety is going to be our number one priority.”
As the world eagerly awaits the launch of Artemis II, this historic mission represents a significant step forward in humanity’s exploration of the Moon, paving the way for future lunar landings and the continued advancement of space exploration.
