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What's Next After the Liftoff of Artemis II?
A new chapter in the space race is being written after the liftoff, at 6:35 p.m. (local time), of Artemis II, the first manned mission in 50 years to reach lunar orbit, which will also take four astronauts to the farthest point from Earth ever reached by humans.
TL;DR
- Artemis II is the first manned mission to lunar orbit in 50 years.
- The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is expected to last just under two weeks.
- The crew includes Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover (first African American to orbit the moon), Christina Koch (first woman to fly to the moon, longest space mission by a woman), and Jeremy Hansen (first Canadian to go to space and reach the moon).
- The mission's objectives are to explore beyond low Earth orbit and conduct research for future lunar base establishment.
- Artemis II is a test flight to evaluate the Orion capsule and the effects of deep space radiation on its systems and the crew.
- Future Artemis missions, from Artemis IV onwards, are planned to land on the moon.