It has been more than half a century since humans last set foot on the moon, but a new milestone is on the horizon. NASA’s ambitious Artemis program is gearing up for Artemis II, a mission that will see four astronauts, including Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover, orbiting the moon.
Scheduled for a launch no earlier than February 6, the mission requires thorough checks on both the rocket and the spacecraft before the astronauts embark on their historic journey. The focal point will be the rollout of the colossal 100-meter tall Space Launch System (SLS) set for Saturday.
John Honeycutt, Artemis II mission management team chair, expressed excitement during a recent press conference, highlighting the historic significance of the upcoming mission.
The SLS and the Orion spacecraft, where the astronauts will reside for 10 days, have only been launched once during the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the moon in 2022. Now, they are primed to carry human passengers.
Although the four astronauts will not land on the lunar surface, they will engage in lunar surveillance, experiments, and spacecraft testing in preparation for Artemis III, where astronauts are slated to walk on the moon, with a launch targeted for no earlier than 2028.
The rollout of the rocket on Saturday is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET. The extensive process will take approximately eight to 12 hours for the five million-kilogram rocket to reach the launch pad. Key steps include the retraction of the crew access arm, which astronauts will use to board the rocket on launch day, and the subsequent connection of all necessary components.
Following the rollout, preparations will continue with a wet dress rehearsal, simulating launch day conditions by loading propellant onto the rocket. This crucial practice run ensures that all systems are functioning optimally before final approval for launch.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, emphasized the importance of lessons learned from Artemis I, stating that the previous test flight provided valuable insights for refining procedures and ensuring a successful mission.