For the first time in more than 50 years, humans are preparing to travel around the Moon.
NASA’s Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a deep space journey that will carry them more than 230,000 miles from Earth, including about 4,600 miles beyond the far side of the Moon before returning home.
The targeted launch time is 6:24 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1. Artemis II is the first crewed launch of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
The mission is expected to last about 10 days and will test critical systems aboard the Orion spacecraft, including life support, navigation, and communications, as the crew travels through deep space.
The astronauts selected for the mission include Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, all from the United States, along with Jeremy Hansen, who will become the first Canadian to fly around the Moon.
During the mission, the crew will travel around the far side of the Moon, temporarily losing communication with Earth, and capturing images and data from a vantage point no human has experienced since the Apollo era.
The mission follows the successful uncrewed Artemis I flight and is a major step toward returning astronauts to the lunar surface in future missions.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon while laying the groundwork for eventual missions to Mars.
Photos: NASA
