Astronauts Reid Weissman, Victor Glover, Cristina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are spending ten days in an orbit around the moon in the Orion space craft to test vital life support systems, navigation, and thermal protection in the first manned mission in deep space in over 50 years. Humans haven’t ventured beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. Artemis II marks the first-time astronauts will travel to deep space in over five decades, signaling a new era of exploration. The crew won’ t be landing on the moon just yet though. NASA wants to first make sure a ten-day orbit can go without any hitches before landing humans on the moon again. Artemis I was the precursor to this mission, performing the same orbit, but without a crew. Due to past failed missions and disruptions, safety is NASA’s first priority.
The crew consists of a commander (Weissman), a pilot (Glover), and two mission specialists (Koch and Hansen). Weissman got his Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and his master’s from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, his hometown. He was chosen as a NASA astronaut in 2009. Glover has a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering, and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science. The veteran astronaut was chosen for NASA in 2013. Koch has her bachelor’s in science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Another veteran astronaut, Koch was chosen by NASA in 2013. Finally, Hansen, the Canadian pilot, has a Bachelor of Science in Space Science and a Master of Science in Physics. Hansen joined NASA in 2017.
The Orion space craft is the newest space craft built by NASA to hold humans. It is also a vital step in the process of eventually sending a crew to Mars. Also used for this mission was NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System). This rocket is the only one of its kind that can send Orion to the moon in a single direct launch. Not only will this mission test NASA’s technological capabilities, but also their psychological ones. They will be able to see how these astronauts perform under the stress of the mission. This will help with further training for future missions. Speaking of future missions, NASA’s next Artemis mission is to finally land on the moon again, though not with a crew. Once all prior missions are complete without problems, NASA will feel confident in sending a crew to the moon and eventually, Mars. Needless to say, Artemis II is a giant leap for mankind.
