Artemis Program: Returning to the Moon After More Than 50 Years

The Artemis project is our follow-up to the Apollo missions. In Greek mythology Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. The goal is to not be a repeat of Apollo, but to achieve a sustainable long-term presence at the Moon. Artemis 1 launched November 16, 2022 and returned us to the Moon and was the first integrated test of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration System. The un-crewed mission used the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System rocket. The successful mission tested the heat shield and the operating system in flight before successfully splashing down to Earth on December 11, 2022.

Artemis 2 takes the program to the next level with a crewed mission to the Moon. The goal is for a safe return of the crew and evaluate the SLS and Orion system with a crew. The mission will test the safety and redundant systems. Artemis 1 laid the foundation for long term exploration of deep space; setting the stage for Artemis 2 to take 4 astronauts on a 10 day mission to the Moon and back to Earth. Artemis 2 is planned for 2026, and take a crew on 685,000 mile mission. Artemis 2 will also use a free turn trajectory harnessing the Earth-Moon gravity field.

Our General Meeting presenter was James “Joel” Knapper. During the presentation, we learned about updates to the mission, the Artemis Program’s new timeline, and about the astronauts chosen for the upcoming second mission. A dedicated and active NASA Solar System Ambassador for the past twelve years, James “Joel” Knapper has been hooked on NASA and space exploration since grade school. Joel earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in English Education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Joel is an officer of his local amateur astronomy group, the Kankakee Area Stargazers, where he presents monthly updates on NASA programs. He has presented more than one hundred NASA events in the Chicago area.