NASA unveils date for when humans will explore the Moon

NASA has announced when humans will return to the Moon for the first time in 50 years, marking a significant step in the journey back to the lunar surface.

NASA unveils date for when humans will explore the Moon
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Tech and Science Editor
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TL;DR: NASA's Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a 10-day crewed journey around the Moon, following the successful uncrewed Artemis I test. This mission will study human health effects of space travel, including gravity and radiation, paving the way for Artemis III's planned lunar surface landing in 2027.

Not a single human has set foot on the surface of the Moon since December 14, 1972, which was when Apollo 17 astronauts completed their final moonwalk. Since then, only robots have explored the surface of Earth's closest neighbor. However, that is about to change in the coming years.

NASA has announced the date for Artemis II, the mission that will take four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon. Artemis II comes after Artemis I, which was an uncrewed mission that involved the Orion spacecraft being sent on a test journey around the Moon to see how the spacecraft would fare with mission goals and general journey. Artemis I was a success, and now NASA is moving to Artemis II, a crewed mission that will follow a similar path to Artemis I, but this time with humans aboard the Orion spacecraft.

Artemis II will be the foundation of future Artemis missions, with each of the four astronauts undergoing strenuous testing both before and after they return from the journey. For example, blood samples will be taken before the crew leaves and then taken again after they return, as researchers want to know if the human body experiences any significant changes throughout the mission, which, if found to be the case, preventative measures will be made before Artemis III, the mission where humans will walk on the surface of the Moon.

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One of the biggest factors researchers want to test for is the impact of gravity, or the lack of it, on the human body, along with radiation. Before we get to Artemis III, which is currently scheduled for mid-2027, NASA must first complete Artemis II, which will involve the following crew members:

  • Commander Reid Wiseman - U.S. Navy Captain; NASA astronaut since 2009; veteran of ISS Expedition 41; over 165 days in space
  • Pilot Victor Glover - U.S. Navy Commander; NASA astronaut since 2013; flew on Crew-1 (first operational SpaceX Crew Dragon mission)
  • Mission Specialist 1 Christina Koch - NASA astronaut since 2013; record-holder for longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days); part of first all-female spacewalk; holds an honorary PhD in recognition of her scientific contributions
  • Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen - Canadian Space Agency astronaut; former fighter pilot and first Canadian selected to train NASA astronaut candidates; will become the first Canadian to travel to the Moon