The crewed mission to the Moon 'Artemis-2' successfully launched from the USA and is already flying along the planned route. The crew of four astronauts is set to orbit Earth’s satellite and return back in 10 days. This is reported by DW.
Mission Artemis-2: how the flight to the Moon is progressing
The launch of the Orion spacecraft took place on April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida using the powerful Space Launch System rocket.
The crew includes astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Christina Koch.
The flight has significant historical importance:
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Victor Glover became the first African American in a lunar mission
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Christina Koch is the first female astronaut in such an expedition
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The mission is the first crewed flight to the Moon in decades.
The rocket was fueled with over 2.6 million liters of cryogenic propellant, and its total mass after preparation was about 2,600 tons.
Artemis Program: what’s next after this launch
The mission 'Artemis-2' is the second stage of NASA's ambitious program aimed at returning humans to the Moon.
Earlier, in 2022, a test unmanned flight 'Artemis-1' took place. The next stage – 'Artemis-3' – is set to conclude with landing humans on the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years.
The launch of the mission was postponed several times due to technical problems, including a malfunction in the helium supply system of the rocket.
Interestingly, the moment of rocket launch was captured by passengers on an American Airlines flight during a night flight – a bright trail in the sky was visible right from the window.
Recall that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS continues to amaze scientists due to its unique trajectory and chemical composition.