The mission will carry four astronauts: Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch from NASA, in addition to Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, on a ten-day trip around the moon, without landing on it.

NASA explained that the official launch window extends from January 31 to February 14, with alternative dates set for February 7, 8, 10, and 11, in addition to later dates in March and April if the launch in February is not possible. The choice of launch day depends on precise orbital dynamics, rocket performance, and weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The “Orion” spacecraft will be launched aboard a powerful SLS rocket from Cape Canaveral, and will orbit the Earth several times to test life support systems, before heading towards the Moon and flying close to it, while using the Moon’s gravity to return safely to Earth without the need to operate additional engines.

This mission is a major test of the missile, spacecraft and their systems, in preparation for the landing of “Artemis 3” scheduled for 2027, which will be the first human landing on the moon’s surface within the “Artemis” program.

The first phase of preparations is scheduled to begin by transporting the SLS rocket and the Orion vehicle to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Center on January 17, using a giant tanker, and the process takes about 12 hours.

After the rocket arrives at the pad, the NASA crew will conduct what is known as “practical rehearsal” and “fueling,” where the rocket’s tanks will be filled with than 700,000 gallons of very cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen, with a mock countdown to practice stopping and restarting operations and checking for any problems before the actual launch.

In a broader context, former NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said that the next mission, “Artemis 3,” will establish a long-term presence for humans on the moon, and will also contribute to future efforts aimed at sending American astronauts to Mars.

Source: Daily Mail