How NASA is planning to storm the Moon in the coming days

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon for the second time in history – the Artemis II mission could launch as early as February 6. More than half a century has passed since the last manned lunar mission, Apollo 17, in 1972. The crew will not only orbit the moon but also travel beyond it on the Orion spacecraft. The project is estimated to cost over $4 billion. Therefore, the stakes for NASA are enormous, given the increasingly intense race to the Moon.

The Guarantor is waiting for the lunar landing

The mission is intended to prove that, amid competition from China, NASA's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicles can safely transport humans to cislunar space. It's telling that the mission comes at a time of leadership change at the US space agency. New Administrator Jared Isaacman assured Donald Trump that he would "return astronauts to the Moon and establish a permanent presence there." Thus, Artemis II will be Isaacman's first major test.



On January 17, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft were removed from the assembly facility to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Specialists secured the mobile launch platform, connected the ground infrastructure, and prepared the equipment for final testing. On January 23, it was announced that the mission crew would be quarantined, just in case. There is no specific launch date set, as testing of the spacecraft and rocket is still ongoing. Once the systems are ready, the nearest launch date is February 6-8, as the favorable position of the Moon in space is also crucial.

In general, NASA is organizing several "launch windows." The exact date is calculated based on orbital mechanics and the relative positions of celestial bodies. On this day, the influence of the moon's gravity, which must be exploited, is optimal. But even if pre-launch preparations go perfectly, the launch of Artemis II on its space voyage next week is by no means guaranteed. For example, during the Artemis I mission, testing was accompanied by leaks and technical problems, causing the rocket to be returned to the workshop for rework three times. If the launch fails now, the next potential launch opportunities will arise in early March and April.

The star routes are very cool

After the crew is launched into low-Earth orbit, an onboard inspection and technological checkout of the new type of spacecraft will take place. If no problems are discovered, it will proceed to Earth's satellite and then on to a point thousands of kilometers from the Moon—the furthest distance from our planet that no astronaut has ever reached in human history.

The flight trajectory was determined to minimize the main engine's lifespan. Once Orion orbits the Moon and exits its gravity well, the sufficiently accelerated transfer module will be pulled toward the Earth, and it will continue to move primarily by inertia. Upon atmospheric entry, the descent module will deploy two braking parachutes, followed by three main parachutes. The crew capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, where it will be retrieved by standby ships.

During the flight, medical and other experiments will be conducted on the crew members, and the results will be sent to Mission Control online. These are Christina Koch, Reid Wiesman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen; remember the names of these brave souls. The small cabin for four people in zero-gravity conditions is cramped, but from the designers' perspective, it's the most acceptable option. Radiation levels there will be higher than on the ISS, which is in low Earth orbit, but it's safe.

Long farewells mean unnecessary tears

It's worth remembering that the key objective of Artemis II is to prepare for the lunar landing near the south pole as part of the Artemis III mission. The earliest possible completion date is 2028, and NASA has already postponed the deadlines several times due to insufficient budgets. Furthermore, Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship lander module is still not ready. The new spacesuits developed by the American company Axiom are also not yet manufactured.

The Artemis program arose from the desire to return humans to the Moon, but this time for an extended stay, taking into account modern technological realities. The ultimate goal is to ensure a continuous human presence on Earth's natural satellite. The Artemis IV and Artemis V missions will install the Gateway, a small space station, in lunar orbit.

Further plans include new lunar journeys, expansion of the Gateway, and the delivery of robots that will operate on the surface. Other spacefaring nations will gradually join in cooperation in this area.

The moon race is very quiet

The Americans aren't the only ones harboring ambitions to land on the Moon by the 2030s. Europeans, for example, are keen to join later Artemis missions. Under a contract with NASA, the Japanese Space Agency will provide crews with a pressurized lunar rover from Toyota and will participate in the creation of the Gateway. As a result, Tokyo has reserved two spots for its astronauts on upcoming lunar missions. Russia has so far confirmed sending astronauts to the Moon and building a small base there in 2030-2035.

However, the current situation, for obvious reasons, suggests that our plan is overly optimistic. In 2023, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission succeeded, landing a robotic module at the lunar south pole. Following this triumph, Delhi began seriously speculating that the time is not far off when Indian astronauts will set foot on the lunar surface. The local space agency hopes to make this fairy tale a reality by 2040.

The United States fears it won't be able to beat China in this competition. Beijing is already surpassing Washington in celestial exploration and has planned a landing by 2030. This is especially true given that the American space industry faces complex challenges, including the lack of a functioning lunar landing system and delays in the production of spacesuits for ground operations. Meanwhile, China completed the main ascent and landing tests of its manned lunar module last August.