China-U.S. Lunar Race: U.S. Sends Astronauts to Moon After 50 Years, NASA Prepares for Artemis II Launch Mission
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is intensively conducting final preparations for a potential launch on Wednesday, April 1, marking the first time in over 50 years that astronauts will be sent to the Moon.
The spacecraft is scheduled to carry a crew of three Americans and one Canadian on a 10-day mission orbiting the Moon before returning to Earth.
On Monday, March 30, Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told reporters: "This is an exhilarating moment—for this team, our crew, and indeed for our nation and the entire world."
NASA officials said weather conditions for the Wednesday evening launch window appear favorable, though they continue monitoring cloud cover and wind conditions that could delay liftoff.
If the launch is delayed, NASA has reserved backup launch opportunities daily from now until April 6, with April 30 also serving as an alternate date.
The Artemis II mission was originally planned for February but had to be postponed by NASA due to a series of technical issues requiring repairs.
According to NASA’s plans, the Artemis program also includes a crewed lunar landing mission scheduled for 2028, along with efforts to establish a lunar base.
On Monday, NASA Deputy Administrator Amit Kshatriya said at a briefing: "The vehicle is ready, systems are ready, and the crew is ready." He added: "This flight represents the beginning—not the end—of a grand space exploration vision encompassing lunar landings, establishing a lunar base, and exploring deep space using nuclear-powered propulsion technology."
NASA last conducted a crewed lunar mission in December 1972; since then, astronauts have remained confined to low-Earth orbit.
Most recent space missions have focused on the International Space Station, which orbits approximately 400 kilometers above Earth's surface.
In contrast, traveling to the Moon is a vastly different undertaking—astronauts on the Artemis mission will venture far into space, reaching distances up to about 400,000 kilometers from Earth.
Kshatriya noted on Monday that although "risk tolerance differs," the propulsion systems and life-support systems aboard the spacecraft have undergone comprehensive and thorough testing in prior missions.
"Twenty-five years of space station operations have given us significant confidence and deep understanding regarding the reliability of components being used for lunar orbit flights. That is why we can confidently accept these risks," he said.
NASA has already successfully completed an uncrewed test flight featuring the new Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft intended for use in the Artemis II mission.
The primary objective set by NASA for this mission is to verify that all systems can sustain astronaut survival during deep-space missions, thereby preparing for future lunar surface landings.
Additionally, astronauts will conduct tasks including analyzing and photographing the Moon’s geological features during their lunar flyby.
The spacecraft will also carry experimental payloads from multiple countries—each roughly the size of a shoebox.
A German system will measure the impact of space environments on electronic components, while a South Korean experiment aims to study how space radiation affects human-like tissue.
Meanwhile, a Saudi Arabian system will monitor space weather, and an Argentine system will assess the effectiveness of radiation shielding technologies.
Source: vua
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861267646163211/
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