NASA launches Artemis-2 mission: the first human flight to the Moon in 50 years

A person can make a trip around the Moon

According to glavcom.ua: For the first time in over 50 years after the end of the 'Apollo' program, a person can make a trip around the Moon. NASA has announced that the crewed mission 'Artemis-2' could take place as early as February 2026. The flight will be a key milestone in the ambitious 'Artemis' program, which aims not only to return humans to the Moon but also to establish a long-term human presence on its surface, laying the foundation for future flights to Mars.

'Artemis-2' mission and the role of participants

As part of 'Artemis-2', a crew of four will embark on a 10-day journey to the Moon and back. The international team includes: Reid Wiseman (USA) - commander of the spacecraft, Victor Glover (USA), Christina Koch (USA) - if successful, she will become the first woman to orbit the Moon, Jeremy Hansen (Canada). The main task of the mission is to thoroughly test the critically important systems of the 'Orion' spacecraft, developed by NASA and Airbus, which is designed to support the crew's life in outer space.

• The main goal of the mission is a thorough check of the 'Orion' spacecraft systems.
• The European Service Module 'Orion' plays a key role in ensuring the astronauts' viability during the journey.

We provide the service module, located behind the crew module and containing everything necessary to support the astronauts' life during their journey to the Moon - explained Sian Cleaver, head of the European Service Module 'Orion' at Airbus.

The module is equipped with tanks of water, oxygen, and nitrogen for air supply, avionics systems, solar panels, and a propulsion module to take the astronauts to the Moon and safely return them to Earth.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk expressed confidence that humanity will be able to create a sustainable colony on Mars by 2055, which requires breakthroughs in heavy-lift launch vehicles.

The crewed mission 'Artemis-2' will take place in 2026 and will be a key milestone in the 'Artemis' program aimed at returning humans to the Moon and preparing for future flights to Mars. On board the 'Orion' spacecraft, the team will check critically important systems necessary for viability during long flights in outer space.