Published 16:31 IST, August 25th 2019
NASA makes big Artemis claim: 'We're going to the Moon to stay'
NASA has been planning its first manned mission to the moon in 2024 - 50 years after successfully achieved moon landing. This mission is named 'Artemis'
NASA has been planning its first manned mission to the moon in 2024 - 50 years after successfully achieved moon landing. This mission which has been dubbed 'Artemis' has created a lot of buzz since its announcement in May. The specialty of the mission is this would be the first time a woman would be stepping on the Lunar surface. But NASA is not done with its surprises. It took to Twitter on Sunday to announce- 'We're going to the moon, to stay'.
NASA to stay on moon
The announcement claims that the moon is not their final destination, but its Elon Musk's favourite- Mars. The video shared by NASA shows craters on the moon, where astronauts are seen trudging. It also shows many igloo-shaped camps that NASA envisions to set up. The space agency which plans to send a man and a woman astronaut to the Moon hopes to explore beyond our galaxy.
What is Artemis?
According to its official website, Artemis is NASA's pioneer lunar exploration program where they plan to use innovative new technologies to conduct a massive space exploration of the Moon. NASA plans to partner with commercial and international partners to establish sustainable missions by 2028. Their immediate aim is to initially aims to send an unmanned flight 'Artemis-1' to test the Space Launch System (SLS) - NASA's powerful new rocket in 2020. Then they plan to send a manned mission 'Artemis-2' to space and then by 2024 it plans to land on the moon.
Detailing what SLS will do, NASA says that on their sojourn to the Moon, they would send astronauts in their Orion spacecraft at the Gateway between the Earth and lunar orbit. These astronauts are scheduled to dock in the Gateway where they will live and work around the Moon. From the Gateway, they will go to the Moon and then ultimately return to Earth. This mission is prior to Artemis 1 and 2.
What will they do on the Moon?
Their main aims on the moon are:
- Find and use water and other critical resources needed for long-term exploration
- Investigate the Moon’s mysteries
- Learn how to live and operate on the surface
- Prove the technologies we need before sending astronauts on missions to Mars
Updated 16:53 IST, August 25th 2019